Department for Transport

Railways: Commuters

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with rail operators on the effect on their services of a potential increase in flexible and part-time commuters.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a fundamental change in working patterns and that this could have long-term effects on commuter behaviour. In order to support a green recovery and new working patterns, the Department is working with industry to explore already available options for flexible commuters, such as carnets, and what steps could be taken quickly to make these as useful and convenient for passengers as possible.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to help drivers involved in non-fault accidents penalised by insurance companies.

Rachel Maclean: The setting and the adjustment of premiums following a claim are commercial decisions for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience and the Government does not generally intervene or seek to control the market. The motor insurance market is very competitive and we encourage policyholders to shop around to find the best deal. Many insurers will offer considerable discounts to attract new customers and it is possible that a driver might find a better offer if he or she fully explains the circumstances of a no fault claim.

Railway Stations: Business Premises

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what financial support is available for tenants operating businesses from stations managed by Train Operating Companies subject to Emergency Measures Agreements with his Department.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The government has taken steps to support commercial businesses, including those located within railway stations. These measures include amending the Coronavirus Act to extend the time period for suspension of the forfeiture of evictions from 30 June to 30 September and landlords will also be prevented from using Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery unless they are owed 189 days of unpaid rent. In addition, the temporary ban on the use of statutory demands and winding-up petitions, where a company cannot pay its bills due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been extended to 30 September. The government has also ensured that businesses and workers have access to unprecedented packages of support, including £330 billion of government-backed and guaranteed loans.

Southeastern: Railway Stations

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many tenants have rental agreements with Southeastern to operate businesses within stations that company manages.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As of the 9 July 2020, Southeastern has 218 rental agreements with tenants to operate businesses within Southeastern managed stations.

Transport: Northern Ireland

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on connectivity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Kelly Tolhurst: The government welcomes the resumption of passenger services between airports in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. In May the Government announced a £5.7million funding package of measures, temporarily supporting two airlinks, from Belfast and Londonderry to London, and associated airport services at City of Derry Airport and Belfast City Airport. The funding package ensured that lifeline connectivity services continued to both Belfast and Londonderry during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognise that the impacts of COVID-19 on the civil aviation sector will continue for some time. The Department speaks regularly to the Northern Ireland Executive, airlines and airports as part of our engagement on restart and recovery in the sector and will continue to do so as we look to rebuild regional connectivity throughout the UK.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,  what recent steps the Government has taken to help ensure the safety of people (a) travelling to airports, (b) in airports and (c) on aircraft.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government has published transport guidance for passengers and operators on safer travel during the coronavirus outbreak. This guidance will enable passengers to take the necessary measures to protect themselves and others on the forms transport most commonly used for travelling to airports (including private cars, taxis, buses, and trains). The Government has also published guidance specifically for aviation operators and for air passengers on safer travel during the coronavirus outbreak. This guidance maps out the measures passengers can take to protect themselves and others in airports and on board aircraft, and includes advice on hygiene measures, face coverings, and social distancing in aviation settings. The Government expects all airport operators and airlines to manage the risks of coronavirus as far as possible in order to provide safer workplaces and services for workers and passengers. It is also important to note that wearing face coverings on public transport (including on board aircraft) is now mandatory in England and Scotland.

Driving Tests: Coronavirus

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the resumption of driving tests in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in Scotland.

Rachel Maclean: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been to protect the public and save lives. That remains its priority as it restarts its services. As different approaches to easing lockdown are currently being adopted across England, Scotland and Wales, the DVSA is following published guidance in each of those countries as it restarts its services safely for customers and staff. The DVSA will continue to observe the guidance and scale up its services when it is permissible and lawful to do so. In Scotland, theory tests and motorcycle instruction may restart on 22 July 2020. Motorcycle module 1 and module 2 tests, and tractor driving tests, will restart on Monday 3 August 2020. Other types of driving tests are still suspended. When the DVSA has more detail, it will inform instructors and candidates.

Shipping: Crew

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of employment conditions for seafarers working on the Cypriot registered Seaways Strashnov transporting steel monopile (a) foundations and (b) transition pieces for installation at the site of the Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm on the UK Continental Shelf.

Kelly Tolhurst: The vessel in question is registered in Cyprus and is currently operating out of the Netherlands. Cyprus has ratified the Maritime Labour Convention and the employment conditions on board must be in compliance with the Convention. If there is reason to believe that the vessel is not in compliance, it should be brought either to the attention of the Dutch maritime authorities, as the port state for the vessel, or the Cypriot maritime authorities as the flag state.

Cars: Coronavirus

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to enable two people from different households to share a car following the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will put in place plans for disabled people who rely on other people to drive them.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Our priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been to keep people safe by minimising the risk of transmission. This is why we continue to recommend that people should consider walking, cycling or using their own vehicle rather than sharing a vehicle with people from other households or support bubbles. We appreciate that this will not be an option for everyone and recognise the importance of car sharing for people with disabilities. Our Safer Travel Guidance for Passengers outlines clear steps that people should attempt to follow if they have to travel in the same vehicle with people outside their household or support bubble (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers).

Transport: Schools

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made on the effect on trends in the level of (a) school and (b) college attendance of the suspension of free and discounted travel for under 18’s in London.

Rachel Maclean: The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport for London (TfL) to continue operating services contained a series of conditions to facilitate safe travel on public transport in London, including the temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s. The Department is working closely with TfL and the Department for Education on how the temporary suspension can be operationalised. Any child eligible for free home to school travel under the Education Act 1996 will still receive this. The Department is also completing an Equality Impact Assessment, which will consider whether there are further categories of children that should receive free transport.

Buses: Hydrogen

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the (a) production and (b) use of hydrogen buses.

Rachel Maclean: The Government has supported the use of a range of low carbon bus technologies, including hydrogen buses and supporting infrastructure, through funds including the Low Emission and Ultra-Low Emission Bus Schemes. In February, the Government announced a £5 billion funding package for buses and cycling, which includes support for the purchase of at least 4,000 zero-emission buses. The details of these programmes, including technology options and how funding will be distributed, will be announced in due course.

Public Transport: Concessions

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will hold discussions with Transport for London on reviewing the planned end to free travel for under 18s in London.

Rachel Maclean: The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport for London (TfL) to continue operating services contained a series of conditions to facilitate safe travel on public transport in London, including the temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s. These conditions were agreed by the Mayor of London and Deputy Mayor for Transport. Before the Covid-19 crisis, around a third of journeys in the morning peak period were made by young people travelling to school and many of these journeys were less than 2km in length. The temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s will help to reduce demand for public transport so that those who need to use it can do so safely. The Department is working closely with TfL and the Department for Education on how the temporary suspension can be operationalised. Any child eligible for free home to school travel under the Education Act 1996 will still receive this. The Department is also completing an Equality Impact Assessment, which will consider whether there are further categories of children that should receive free transport.

Roads: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, what steps he plans to take to introduce measures complementary to the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan to reduce air pollution on the Trunk Road Network in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport.

Rachel Maclean: We are working across Government, including with Highways England, and with local authorities, to deliver our 2017 Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and achieve compliance as quickly as possible. The Mottram Moor link road and A57(T) to A57 link road, which Highways England is due to start construction on in the current road period, will contribute to improvements in air quality in the area.

Roads: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, what assessment he has made of the air quality for communities living alongside the Strategic Highway Network in (a) Tameside and (b) Stockport for which Highways England is responsible.

Rachel Maclean: The Pollution Climate Mapping model is used alongside measurements from the Automatic Urban and Rural Network to assess levels of air pollutants for major urban roads across the UK and report compliance with legal limits for nitrogen dioxide. One, local authority managed, section of road in Tameside, has been identified as exceeding legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the latest national modelling. Five sections of road in Stockport, one Highways England managed and four local authority managed, have been identified as exceeding legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the latest national modelling. As set out in response to Question 72845/72846 we are working across Government, including with Highways England, and with local authorities, to deliver our 2017 Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and achieve compliance as quickly as possible.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, whether Highways England is legally responsible for managing air quality from its strategic network for the purpose of the UK's legal obligations on clean air.

Rachel Maclean: For purpose of the air quality Directive (2008/50/EC), DEFRA on behalf of the Government are the competent authority. In 2017 the Government published its Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations (The Plan) which set out plans to achieve compliance as quickly as possible. Highways England is legally required, under the Infrastructure Act 2015 and its Licence, to comply with (or have due regard to) relevant Government policy, which includes the Government’s plans and policies on air quality, and has been commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) to deliver its part of The Plan. The Infrastructure Act also obliges Highways England to comply with DfT’s Road Investment Strategy (RIS). The current (second) RIS sets out DfT’s expectations for environmental outcomes to be in line with (but not limited to) The Plan, and sets key performance indicators in relation to air quality, including compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits as soon as possible. The Office of Rail and Road monitors Highways England’s compliance with its obligations as set out in the RIS and Licence, and has enforcement powers in respect of these obligations.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, whether Highways England will be fined for breaching clean air obligations to communities adjoining the strategic highway network.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2020 to Question 68683 on Roads: Greater Manchester, whether local authorities will be fined for breaching clean air obligations to communities adjoining the strategic highway network.

Rachel Maclean: We are working across Government, including with Highways England, and with local authorities, to deliver our 2017 Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and achieve compliance as quickly as possible, without recourse to fines.

Bicycles: Repairs and Maintenance

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for opening the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme to members of the public.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department remains committed to launching the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme this summer. Over one thousand bike shops and mechanics are now registered with the scheme and we are ready to make vouchers available to the public when the time is right.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Government of Singapore on the potential establishment of an air bridge between the UK and Singapore and the consequent removal of quarantine requirements for people travelling to the UK from Singapore.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government has regular discussions with countries on a range of issues. Our approach to travel corridors has been guided by the science and we have worked closely with health and policy experts from across government to ensure the steps we are taking will minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases, while helping to open our travel and tourism sector. Although Singapore was not included in the travel corridors announced on 3 July, the Health Regulations relating to the self-isolation requirements remain under constant review. The next formal review will be on 27 July 2020.

Jet Zero Council

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2020 to Question 64070 on Jet Zero Council, whether he plans to publish the membership of the Jet Zero Council before the summer recess.

Kelly Tolhurst: It is our intention to publish draft membership and terms of reference of the Jet Zero Council before summer recess.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Archaeology

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many qualified archaeologists are being deployed on survey and excavation work relating to High Speed Two construction.

Andrew Stephenson: The number of archaeologists required and consequently deployed will vary as the HS2 project moves forward. HS2 Ltd has estimated that they will need the skills of over 1,000 archaeologists and associated specialisms for the entire HS2 archaeology programme.

Aviation: Pakistan

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the airline industry on increases in air fares to Pakistan following the restrictions placed on Pakistan International Airlines.

Kelly Tolhurst: Air fares are a matter for individual airlines to determine; we have had no discussions with the airline industry about air fares to Pakistan. We are monitoring the situation following the suspension of Pakistan International Airlines’ services, on safety grounds, which must remain a priority. We wish to ensure on-going air connectivity between the UK and Pakistan.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Infrastructure and Projects Authority report 2020 classifying HS2 as a Red project, what steps he plans to take in response to that classification; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stephenson: The IPA’s report refers to the status of the HS2 project in September 2019. This was before the project was comprehensively reset in February 2020 with a revised budget and schedule, and provision of adequate contingency. Steps have also been taken to ensure the project is delivered in a more disciplined and transparent manner with, for example, a dedicated HS2 Minister appointed and bi-annual updates to be provided to Parliament. We are confident HS2 is being delivered with the strict oversight, accountability and transparency needed.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Collection entitled Vehicle Market Surveillance Unit programme results and the reports published in July 2018 and July 2019, when the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency plans to publish the findings from vehicle and component testing carried out during 2019 to check that new products on the UK market meet legal obligations.

Rachel Maclean: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is planning to publish the 2019 report in the Autumn of 2020.

Aviation: Coronavirus

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to authorise the opening of air corridors with the United Arab Emirates.

Kelly Tolhurst: Our approach to travel corridors has been guided by the science and we have worked closely with health and policy experts from across government to ensure the steps we are taking will minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases, while helping to open our travel and tourism sector. The Joint Biosecurity Centre, in close consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Chief Medical Officer, has developed an approach to assessing the public health risk associated with inbound travel from specific countries and territories. The resulting categorisation methodology has been informed by a number of factors including an estimate of the proportion of the population that is currently infectious in each country, trends in virus incidences and deaths, transmission status and international epidemic intelligence. We have also considered issues such as the testing capacity of each country and the quality of the data available.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of High Speed Two construction sites are in operation as at 13 July 2020.

Andrew Stephenson: 229 sites out of a possible 244 sites are open, meaning that 94% of sites that could be open are open. All Construction sites for Main Works Civils on the Phase One route are open. A small number of enabling works construction sites remain closed/paused, primarily due to work requiring access to residents’ homes.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Coronavirus

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 on the timeframe for the construction of High Speed Two.

Andrew Stephenson: High Speed Two Ltd continue to monitor the impacts of Covid-19 on construction. 94% of sites are open on Phase One and work is continuing in line with Public Health England Guidelines. As part of our twice-yearly reports to Parliament on the status of the project, we will consider the impacts of COVID-19 once the pandemic’s wider effect on the economy becomes clearer.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dr Kieran Mullan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for construction work on High Speed Two Phase 2a (West Midlands - Crewe) to commence.

Andrew Stephenson: The Phase 2a Bill is currently in the House of Lords with petition hearings restarting before the Lords Select Committee next week. Parliamentary time allowing, we hope it will receive Royal Assent before the end of the year. Royal Assent of the Bill will allow construction of Phase 2a to begin. We expect the construction of Phase 2a to align with the timing of Phase One.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Minimum Wage: Non-payment

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the recommendations in the Low Pay Commission's May 2020 report, Non-compliance and enforcement of the National Minimum Wage, what steps he has taken to (a) evaluate what data are recorded in non-compliance investigations, (b) make an assessment of how that data can be used to improve cost-effectiveness, (c) monitor the effect of the increase in the threshold for naming employers found to have underpaid workers, (d) take responsibility for the delivery of the new higher NLW target in the sectors where it is the main source of funding, (e) use targeted communications to both apprentices and their employers to highlight underpayment risks and the non-payment of training hours, (f) instruct HMRC to (i) review how it records apprentice underpayment, (ii) publish the number and profile of the apprentices identified as having been underpaid and (iii)) review its approach to investigations involving apprentices and whether such investigations would identify non-payment of training hours and (g) review the regulations on records to be kept by an employer to set out the minimum requirements needed to keep sufficient records; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully: The Government is committed to tackling minimum wage non-compliance. Anyone entitled to be paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW) should receive it. The last financial year (2019/20) was another strong year for NMW enforcement. HMRC completed over 3,300 investigations and found arrears in just over 1,200 of them. They identified £20.8 million in arrears for over 263,000 workers and issued just under 1,000 penalties, totalling £18.5 million to non-compliant employers.We have noted the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations made in their 2020 report on non-compliance and enforcement of the NMW. We responded to the LPC’s last (2019) set of enforcement recommendations in the 2018/19 edition of BEIS’ annual report on NMW Enforcement and Compliance[1].We have already acted on the recommendations made by the LPC following the publication of their report in May 2020. We have drawn up plans for evaluative work across the 2020-21 financial year, started research to assess the impact of HMRC’s promote activity and engaged with both the Department for Education and HMRC to tackle the underpayment of apprentices. We will respond in full to the LPC’s 2020 enforcement recommendations in due course. We will also provide more detailed statistics on enforcement in 2019/20 as part of the 2019/20 edition of BEIS’ annual report on NMW Enforcement and Compliance. [1] National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: Government evidence on compliance and enforcement, 2019 (BEIS, 2020)

Minimum Wage: Non-payment

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of prosecutions for non-payment of the national minimum wage by region (a) in total and (b) in each year since the financial year 2009-10.

Paul Scully: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. Our priority is to ensure that workers receive the money they are owed as quickly as possible. For this reason, in the vast majority of cases, HMRC pursue civil enforcement, which is the quickest way of ensuring workers receive their arrears. Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings and Orders provide a further tool for cases that involve high levels of arrears per worker and/or NMW non-compliance over an extended period of time. These can result in a two-year custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine. HMRC investigates all complaints from workers; and if anyone thinks they are not receiving at least the minimum wage they can contact Acas, in confidence, on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form using the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints HMRC will prosecute where it finds the most serious cases of non-compliance and since the financial year 2009-10 HMRC NMW investigations have led to 8 successful prosecutions of employers for NMW related offences.   Total prosecutions since the financial year 2009-10:Number RegionDate1Manchester23/06/20102London26/02/20133Birmingham11/05/20164Weymouth13/05/20165Oldham04/08/20166Southampton08/12/20167Birmingham17/08/20178*-November 2019 Government compliance and enforcement 18/19 link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-living-wage-and-national-minimum-wage-government-evidence-on-compliance-and-enforcement-2019 *The eighth case was successfully prosecuted in November 2019. As this case falls outside the 2018/19 reporting period, it will be detailed in next year’s (19/20) report.

Fire Prevention: Furniture

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the (a) remit (b) purpose, (c) terms of reference and (b) membership application process is for the British Standards Institute (i) Expert Advisory Group and (ii) Working Group FW/6 on flammability performance and fire tests for furniture.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps is his Department taking to ensure that it  appoints a wide range of (a) stakeholders, (b) representative organisations (c) experts and (d) professionals to the British Standards Institute (i) Expert Advisory Group and (ii) Working Group FW/6 on flammability performance and fire tests for furniture.

Paul Scully: The British Standards Institution (BSI) is appointed by government as the UK’s National Standards Body. Standards are voluntary and BSI is independent from government. The BSI are responsible for ensuring their standards committees are balanced and broadly represent the views of all interested stakeholders. This is formally set out in the British Standard, “BS 0: A standard for standards: principles of standardization”. Section 7 of this standard makes it clear that “committee membership is at the discretion of BSI”. The Government announced in July 2019 that it would developing a new approach to the Furniture and Fire Safety Regulations and it will seek appropriate expert advice to inform the policy development.

Fire Resistant Materials: Health Hazards

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government Response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Twentieth Report of Session 2017–19 on Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life, published on 30 October 2019, HC160, if he will report on his Department’s review of the status of baby and children’s products within the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the evidence heard by that Committee on the effect of the chemicals in flame retardants on children’s health.

Paul Scully: The Government published its response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Twentieth Report of Session 2017–19 on Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life (EAC) on the 16 September 2019. It committed to reviewing the scope of the furniture and fire safety regs including baby and children’s products. This remains the case. We will consider all available evidence including that which was submitted to the EAC and we will source a wide range of expertise in consultation with Chief Scientific Advisor.

Coronavirus: Publications

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish formal guidance on distribution of (a) magazines, (b) leaflets and (c) other printed material in line with the Public Health England advice that circulation of such material does not increase risk of transmission of covid-19.

Paul Scully: The Government will not be publishing additional guidance in relation to this. However, the Government is reviewing existing guidance in light of the updated information from Public Health England.

Industry: Heating

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to meet with representatives of the PUMPITUP! heat pump campaign to discuss support for heat pump projects across a range of industries.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Heat pumps will play a vital role in decarbonising heat in the UK. I have already asked BEIS officials to meet with representatives of the Pump it Up Campaign to discuss support for heat pump projects further.

Coronavirus Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether businesses that are registered at a domestic residential address are eligible for the Local Authority Discretionary Grant; and what guidance has been issued to local authorities on the distribution of the Local Authority Discretionary Grant to businesses registered at a domestic residential address.

Paul Scully: On 1 May, the Government announced that up to £617 million has been made available to local authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. The Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund (LADGF) is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs that are not liable for business rates or rates reliefs. We are asking local authorities to prioritise the following types of businesses for grants from within this funding pot:Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces. Examples could include units in industrial parks, science parks, and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment.Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment.Bed & breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of business rates.Charity properties in receipt of Charitable Rate Relief, which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief. Local authorities are responsible for defining the precise eligibility for this Fund and may choose to make payments to other businesses based on local economic need, subject to those businesses meeting the specific eligibility criteria. Guidance for Local Authorities was published 13 May: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding. We appreciate that there is substantial demand for the LADGF. Local Authorities will need to manage their scheme to stay within their funding allocation and will have to make choices about which businesses to prioritise. Where businesses are registered at a domestic residential address, tax and insurance details should identify the separate costs of a home-based business. Local Authorities should take steps to understand the specific costs of the business. Officials are keeping in close contact with Local Authorities to understand how the scheme is rolling out and advising ministers on any additional support which could be offered to help businesses and support local economies. Any enquiries or appeals regarding the provision of, or eligibility for, grant funding should be directed in the first instance to the relevant local authority. The grant funding schemes are part of the Government’s wider package of support for business. For further information on what support you might be eligible for, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

OneWeb: Investment

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what due diligence the Government has undertaken to ensure that its investment in OneWeb is commercially sound.

Amanda Solloway: This investment is likely to make an economic return, with due diligence showing a strong commercial basis for investment. The deal contributes to the government’s plan to join the first rank of space nations, and signals the government’s ambition for the UK to be a pioneer in the research, development, manufacturing, and exploitation of novel satellite technologies enabling enhanced broadband through the ownership of a fleet of Low Earth orbit satellites. We expect revenue streams from 2022 in several areas including aerospace, maritime, government & military and Enterprise/business broadband.

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish Public Health England's assessment of the scientific evidence on which the Government has instructed that beauty salons are not permitted to carry out facial treatments under covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Paul Scully: The Ministerial Taskforces have been getting scientific input from Public Health England (PHE), who have been directly involved in the taskforce meetings, helping to resolve scientific issues as they draft the guidance. Each individual working group which produced the guidance published on 11 May had active PHE presence, and each set of guidance was produced in collaboration with them, the Health and Safety Executive and other Departments. That model was followed for both the pubs and restaurants, close contact services, and non-essential retail taskforces. The PHE staff who have supported the BEIS taskforces are in regular direct contact with those attending SAGE and have access to the PHE SAGE read-outs. They have endeavoured to reflect closely the SAGE recommendations and have also been responsible for putting some subjects pertinent to BEIS discussions to SAGE, such as persistence of COVID-19 on surfaces, and consideration of social distancing requirements under different scenarios. SAGE information is shared on its website: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response.

Personal Care Services: Income

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will estimate the proportion of beauty industry sector turnover that is derived from facial treatments.

Paul Scully: We do not currently hold accurate information on the proportion of the beauty industry sector turnover that is derived from facial treatments.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has undertaken to ensure that businesses utilising personal current accounts for business activities are not rejected for support from the Business Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Paul Scully: The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) has been introduced to help small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000. Businesses are not required to bank with their provider in order to be eligible for a loan under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). It is also not a requirement of the Scheme for businesses to operate via a business account. However, some lenders may request that an applicant opens a business account in line with their standard policies. This is at the sole discretion of the lender. There are now 26 lenders accredited under the scheme, providing more choice for SMEs. Details of accredited lenders can be found on the British Business Bank’s website. In order to apply for the scheme, businesses need to complete a short, simple online application form. A lender may consider paying funds into a personal current account if no business bank account is held, if it has been satisfactorily evidenced that the personal current account is being used for business purposes. In some cases, borrowers may need to include their 2018-19 HMRC self-assessment tax return alongside the form to verify their status as a business.

Remote Working: Taxation

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what methodology his Department was used to determine a tax-free payment value of £6 per week for people required to work from home.

Nadhim Zahawi: In order to determine a tax-free payment value of £6 per week for people required to work from home due to Covid-19, the Department followed the guidance set out by HM Revenue and Customs of £26 per month as a fair contribution towards the utility costs of employees. This guidance is set out at: https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to open the Green Homes Grant for applications.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Excheqer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before the full launch.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: Human Rights

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on people responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong.

Nigel Adams: On 6 July, The Foreign Secretary brought into force the UK's first autonomous human rights sanctions regime, which gives the Government the power to impose sanctions on those involved in the very worst of human rights abuses around the world.As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement to the House, the Government will consider carefully further suggestions for designations under this regime. However, it would not be appropriate to pre-empt who may be designated.

Riot Control Weapons: Hong Kong

Tom Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether (a) tear gas, (b) rubber bullets and (c) riot gear exported from the UK to Hong Kong has been used by the Hong Kong Police Force against peaceful protesters in Hong Kong.

Nigel Adams: Licensing decisions are based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available at the time and our export licensing system allows us to respond quickly to changing facts on the ground.As the former Foreign Secretary stated during his remarks in the House of Commons on 25 June 2019, no further export licences will be granted for crowd control equipment to Hong Kong unless we are satisfied that concerns raised about human rights and fundamental freedoms have been thoroughly addressed. There are no extant licences for crowd control equipment.

Iran: Arms Trade

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what mechanisms are in place to prevent Iran from increasing arms exports to terrorist groups after the expiration of the UN conventional arms embargo in October 2020.

James Cleverly: We have repeatedly set out concerns about Iranian destabilising behaviour in the region, including proliferation to non-state actors. As set out in the E3 Foreign Ministers statement of 19 June, we are working with partners, including UN Security Council Members, to address the planned expiry of the UN conventional arms embargo.It is also important to note that other UN sanctions (UNSCRs 1540, 2216 and 1701), which prohibit the proliferation of weapons to the Houthis and Lebanese Hizballah, will remain in place after the arms embargo expires. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions on Iran will also remain in place until 2023. The UK encourages all states to implement national export control best practice in support of these regimes.

Rwanda: Genocide

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons his Department has declined to refer to the genocide in Rwanda in 1992 as being perpetrated against Tutsis.

James Duddridge: The UK Government remains committed to supporting Rwanda's recovery from the genocide in 1994, including holding perpetrators to account. We recognise the genocide was committed against the Tutsi and condemn any genocide denial. However we believe it is also important to recognise all victims during the period of the genocide in 1994, during which tens of thousands of Hutus and others were also killed.

South China Sea

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the (a) frequency and (b) cost was of freedom of navigation exercises through the South China sea in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2019.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 15 July 2020



As part of the Royal Navy's persistent presence in the region, five ships have transited the South China Sea since April 2018, most recently HMS Enterprise in late 2019 and early 2020. These deployments have involved a range of defence engagement with regional partners, multilateral exercises and maritime surveillance including support for enforcing UNSCR sanctions on DPRK. These deployments also serve to reinforce our commitment to regional security and to upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The cost of this activity is met through the Defence budget. Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international laws, norms and rights to freedom of navigation provided for by UNCLOS.

Embassies: St Andrew's Day

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what events took place in UK (a) embassies and (b) other diplomatic missions to mark St Andrews Day in 2019.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what events took place in (a) embassies and (b) other diplomatic missions to mark Burns Night in (i) 2019 and (ii) 2020.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what events were hosted in UK (a) embassies and (b) other diplomatic missions to promote Scottish (i) business and (ii) culture in the last 12 months.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 15 July 2020



It is important for the FCO overseas network to promote the interests and diversity of the whole of the UK to other countries - this includes promoting Scotland at events hosted to mark St Andrew's Day and Burns Night.We do not hold a central log of all the events hosted across the world, but some examples for Burns Night include our Ambassadors in Latvia, Hungary and Georgia each hosting a Burns Night supper with key stakeholders to promote Scottish culture and trade. Others promoted St Andrew's Day on social media and flew the Saltire on the day itself.Furthermore, the GREAT marketing campaign also promotes Scottish business and culture throughout the world. The GREAT Challenge Fund is run from the FCO to enable Posts to deliver impactful GREAT activity overseas. Last financial year, there were over 40 projects promoting the devolved nations including: Bookfest International Fair in Bucharest featuring elements of Scottish literature and a Higher Education partnership in Germany promoting the University of Aberdeen and Scottish primary and secondary schools.

Turkey: Coronavirus

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on the condition and treatment of prisoners in Turkey who have contracted covid-19.

Wendy Morton: We regularly raise our concerns with Turkey about conditions in Turkish prisons and the risks posed by COVID-19 in Turkey. We continue to urge the authorities to ensure that all detainees are treated in accordance with relevant international human rights standards. Ministers and our Ambassador to Turkey continue to engage the Turkish Government on Covid risks and future work to tackle the disease.We support the call made by the UN Secretary-General in his message of 22 April that human rights must be at the front and centre of the COVID-19 response and recovery. We continue to be clear in our expectation that Turkey, like all countries, should live up to its human rights obligations towards all its citizens. We support all efforts by the UN to minimise long-term damage to global economies, societies, politics and freedoms.

Iraq: Turkey

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on Turkish armed forces' attacks on civilian settlements in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Wendy Morton: The British Ambassador in Ankara has spoken to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Turkish military actions in northern Iraq, including on reports of civilian casualties. We continue to urge dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security and protect civilians.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safe return of British nationals with health concerns who remain stranded abroad during the covid-19 pandemic.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of British nationals who remain stranded abroad as a result of covid-19 travel restrictions and flight cancellations.

Nigel Adams: Helping British travellers who need and want to return to the UK is one of the Government's highest priorities. Since the outbreak in Wuhan, we estimate that over 1.3 million people have returned to the UK via commercial routes - the majority supported by our work to keep vital routes open. We have brought home over 38,000 people on 186 special charter flights organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from 57 countries and territories. Our first priority was to bring back those who are vulnerable, who clearly face the greatest risk. We sought to ensure that space was made available on flight for acutely vulnerable British nationals of who we were aware, and - where possible - prioritised passengers by vulnerability.We believe the vast majority of British travellers seeking to return to the UK - who don't have commercial options - have now done so. Through our embassies, and a dedicated central team, we continue to support British nationals who need consular support and are working to ensure commercial routes are maintained. We are monitoring risks globally and continue to review how best to provide assistance where necessary. Our travel advice and social media pages are also regularly updated to ensure that those wishing to return are aware of further developments.

Myanmar: War Crimes

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he plans to take to hold the Myanmar military to account for the killing and maiming of children and for sexual violence against them as identified in the UN Secretary-General's Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict.

Nigel Adams: The UK will continue to shine a spotlight on gross human rights violations committed by the Myanmar Military across the country. This includes grave violations against children. On 23 June, I [Minister Adams] spoke to the Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation. I encouraged Myanmar to continue to engage with the International Court of Justice process, and highlighted the need for dialogue to de - escalate the conflict in Rakhine which has seen a significant increase in crimes against children in the first half of this year. On 6 July, the UK's Global Human Rights sanction regime (GHR) listed the Myanmar military's Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Commander-in-Chief in the first tranche of listings, for overseeing the systematic and brutal violence against the Rohingya and other minorities, as set out in the Independent Fact Finding Mission Report. This is in addition to the sanctions which the UK secured through the EU, against 14 members of the Myanmar military responsible for serious human rights violations. The UK led the international effort to establish the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM), which collects and preserves evidence for use in future domestic or international accountability processes.

Sri Lanka: Sanctions

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the imposition of Magnitsky sanctions for people involved in war crimes and human rights abuses during the Sri Lankan civil war.

Nigel Adams: On 6 July the UK Government established the Global Human Rights ('Magnitsky') sanctions regime by laying regulations in Parliament under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. This sanctions regime will give the UK a powerful new tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses by stopping them from entering our country, channelling money through UK banks, or profiting from our economy. It is not appropriate to speculate on who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. We do not want to reduce the impact of the designations. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review.The UK is a member of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and has long supported Sri Lanka's commitments under UNHRC Resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1 on accountability, reconciliation and justice for all communities following the Sri Lankan civil war. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, have both underlined the importance of these commitments in recent engagement with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena.

China: Uighurs

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make further representations to his Chinese counterpart on the abuse of the human rights of Uyghur Muslims in that country.

Nigel Adams: As I set out during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on 29 June, we are seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. On 30 June, the UK read out a formal statement on behalf of 28 countries at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council highlighting arbitrary detention, widespread surveillance and restrictions, particularly those targeting Uyghurs and other minorities, and urged China to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights meaningful access to the region. On 9 March, the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi. We will continue to raise this issue with the Chinese authorities, both bilaterally with China and at the UN alongside our international partners.

China: Uighurs

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the Government is able to give to Uyghur Muslims detained in camps in China.

Nigel Adams: As I set out during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on 29 June, we are seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. On 30 June, the UK read out a formal statement on behalf of 28 countries at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council highlighting arbitrary detention, widespread surveillance and restrictions, particularly those targeting Uyghurs and other minorities, and urged China to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights meaningful access to the region. On 9 March, the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi. We will continue to raise this issue with the Chinese authorities, both bilaterally with China and at the UN alongside our international partners.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to assist British merchant sailors who have been marooned at sea as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

Nigel Adams: The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport wrote to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) on 23 March, reaffirming our international obligations on seafarers' welfare and transit, and calling for clear international guidance for port, flag and coastal states on seafarers' welfare and facilitating seafarer transit. Where vessel operators request assistance to repatriate their employees, the UK Government stands ready to work as quickly as possible to help those who may need rapid consular assistance.Not all British crew are seeking to return to the UK. Some may wish to stay with the ship (with their employer's consent), while others may be required by their role to do so as part of the minimum safe manning requirements for the vessel. This is a legislative and flag state requirement to ensure the continued seaworthiness of vessels.

British Council: Coronavirus

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish a response to EDM 375 on Future of the British Council.

Nigel Adams: As the EDM is a motion for a debate the FCO has no plans to reply in writing.

Spain: Coronavirus

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to review travel advice to Spain in response to recent increases in the number of covid-19 cases reported in that country.

Wendy Morton: Spain is currently exempt from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice against all non-essential international travel. The FCO travel advice for Spain is updated factually as required, and as of 14 July 2020 remains to follow the advice of local authorities and to stay up to date, including by checking a map on locations of localised outbreaks published by the Spanish Ministry of Health. This is based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks. We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping all our travel advice under constant review to ensure it reflects the latest situation on the ground and our assessment of risk to British people.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the decision by Bahrain’s highest court to uphold the death sentences of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa on 13 July 2020, whether Shiekh Mohamed Bin Ali Alkhalifa has received training (a) in the UK or (b) funded by the UK Government.

James Cleverly: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to decision of Bahrain’s Court of Cassation to uphold the death sentences of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa on 13 July 2020 if he will (a) make representations to the Government of Bahrain and (b) make a public appeal to the King of Bahrain for those sentences to be set aside.

James Cleverly: We are deeply concerned that the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa by Bahrain's Court of Cassation have been upheld. Lord Ahmad, who is the Minister of State responsible for human rights, reinforced this position in his tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. The Bahraini Government is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of the 30 June 2020 to Written Question 64962 on Terrorism: Northern Ireland, what estimate his Department made as part of legislative proposals for the Victims Payment Scheme of the (a) potential number of victims entitled to the payment from that scheme and (b) the total cost of that scheme.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government provided a legislative framework for this scheme in the absence of an Executive. A public consultation was carried out between October and November 2019, and the responses to the consultation contributed to the final shape of the scheme. Unlike fatalities, there is no comprehensive dataset about seriously injured victims of the Troubles. In this context, the ability to estimate with confidence both the number of applications to the scheme and the number of awards that will be issued is constrained. The Executive committed to “find a way forward” on this issue in 2014. We have provided that way forward through the regulations. The Executive must now set aside its political differences and deliver for victims.

Department of Health and Social Care

Protective Clothing: Turkey

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the consignment of personal protective equipment supplied by Turkey was paid for in advance of delivery.

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) quality and (b) specification checks his Department made in advance of the contract to purchase protective equipment from Turkey.

Jo Churchill: A private supplier in Turkey contacted an NHS Trust about the potential to procure 400,000 clinical gowns. An initial deposit was paid, and the order specified that the balance would be paid when all 400,000 gowns were received. This order was subsequently reduced to 240,000. Of that 240,000:· 40,000 came over on the RAF flight· 30,000 came over on a later DHL flight· 170,000 are in the process of being shipped to the UKThe balance will be paid when the rest of the order is received in the UK.45,000 gowns and 90,000 coveralls made up a second order. These also came over on the RAF flight from Turkey and were sent to Daventry and the bill was paid on receipt of delivery.

Hospitals: Protective Clothing

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what advice he has received on the need for hospital staff and visitors to wear face masks at all times in to reduce the transmission of covid-19.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he received advice on the need for hospital staff to wear face masks at all times to reduce the transmission of covid-19.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's press release of 5 June 2020, Face masks and coverings to be worn by all NHS hospital staff and visitors, if he will issue guidance on if staff should remove face masks while conducting (a) video consultations and (b) telehealth appointments throughout hospital departments.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government press release dated 5 June 2020, Face masks and coverings to be worn by all NHS hospital staff and visitors, if he will issue guidance on whether staff will be permitted to conduct their appointment without a face mask at a 2 metre distance if a patient identifies themselves as requiring lip reading.

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policy on the use of face masks of the Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19: interim guidance published by the WHO on 5 June 2020, on the of disadvantages of those masks for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to  (a) the NHS and (b) social care providers on meeting the requirements of the Accessible Information Standard for patients with (i) hearing loss and (ii) who face additional communication barriers due to the use of face masks during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 15 June 2020



The recommendations for the use of face masks by hospital staff and face coverings for hospital visitors have been made for to help prevent the spread of infection. Evidence has shown that those infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and potentially transmit the virus to others without being aware of it, so it is important we take steps to reduce the risk of transmission from staff who may be asymptomatic. Staff working alone in a private workspace will not be expected to wear a mask but when they leave the private work area to move through the hospital building, e.g. on an errand, or for meal breaks, they should put on a surgical face mask as outlined in the guidance.For some, wearing of a face covering may be difficult, and therefore all other measures must also be considered and introduced e.g. social/physical distancing, timed appointments; being seen immediately and not kept in waiting rooms. Individual risk assessments should be undertaken where required; for example, patients with mental health and learning disabilities. Such risk assessments must be documented.The use of face masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have an impact on patients who are deaf or have a hearing impairment as they can block the face of healthcare workers and prevent the ability to use visual cues such as facial expressions and lip reading.The Government's personal protective equipment procurement team has sourced clear surgical face masks to support communication with patients who may be deaf or hearing impaired. They are working with regions to identify where those are best distributed.Where clear masks are not possible, communication tactics should be considered to support patients and visitors who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.

Coronavirus: Shops

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the SAGE advice that informed the decision to reopen shops in all regions on the 15 June 2020 during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: As of 29 June the Government has released minutes and papers, discussed at the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-committees, up to SAGE 40 on 4 June. The release of documents will continue as soon as is reasonably practicable after each SAGE meeting throughout the COVID-19 emergency. The only scientific papers with any redactions will be ones where a national security or personal information issue exists, and these necessary redactions take time. These publications can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response

Health Services and Social Services: Screening

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which categories of health and social care providers are eligible for antibody testing for covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are rolling out millions of antibody tests to help us better understand how COVID-19 is spreading across the country which will be vital for future decisions about how to best control the virus. We are now testing National Health Service and care staff as well as patients where there is an identified clinical need.For care staff, the antibody testing programme is being rolled out in a phased way across regions in England.

Asthma: Health Services

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) people with severe asthma can access specialist centres for investigations and diagnosis and (b) severe asthma patients who are shielding during the covid-19 outbreak retain access to biologic therapies.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 18 June 2020



Specialist respiratory services for severe asthma have continued during the COVID-19 outbreak; in most cases people with severe asthma have been able to receive their biologic medication at home instead of having to attend hospital. Given the pivotal role of respiratory medicine in treating patients with COVID-19, the ability of some centres to commence patients receiving biologic therapies may have been impacted at the peak of the surge.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence COVID-19 rapid guideline on severe asthma provides guidance on starting or continuing on biological treatments, for people with severe asthma during the COVID-19 outbreak. The rapid guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng166

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 38603 tabled on 21 April 2020 by the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Question 60779 submitted on 17 June 2020, when he plans to respond to Question 38603 tabled on 21 April 2020 by the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



I replied to the hon. Member’s Question 38603 on 29 June.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 49034 tabled on 19 May 2020 by the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Question 60788 tabled on 17 June 2020, when he plans to respond to Question 49034 tabled on 19 May 2020 by the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



I replied to the hon. Member’s Question 49034 on 2 July. The Department has received 6,240 written Parliamentary Questions between 1 January and 8 July, of which 4,496 have been answered up to 8 July.

Nurses

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many nurses were employed to care for adults in the NHS in each month from 2010 to 2018.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 23 June 2020



NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but not staff working in primary care, general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.The attached table shows the number of adult nurses as at each month between 2010 and 2018. This data contains data on adult nurses and does not include mental health nurses or learning disability nurses.

Nurses

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in 2012, what estimate his Department has made of the number of nurses that would be needed by the NHS in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016, (e) 2017 and (f) 2018.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 23 June 2020



In 2012, any estimates of the number of nurses needed would have been made by strategic health authorities who were abolished as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 reforms. Workforce planning moved from being responsibility of strategic health authorities to Health Education England (HEE) and no formal estimates by HEE were made in 2012.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the establishment of a test and trace service for covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The NHS Test and Trace service brings together testing, contact tracing and outbreak management into an end-to-end service.We have created the largest diagnostic testing network in British history, including 68 regional test sites, home testing kits and satellite testing, more than 147 mobile testing units and three mega Lighthouse laboratories. We have opened six new ‘walk in’ local testing centres to make it easier for people without cars to get a test. Specialised translation services will soon be offered across a range of 68 testing sites, to support people who do not speak English as their first language and British Sign Language for people with hearing difficulties. We have recruited 27,000 contact tracers who are working alongside local public health experts and online contact tracing services to trace the contacts of anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Between 25 June and 1 July 2020:- 303,409 new people were tested for COVID-19 under Pillars 1 and 2 in England;- 3,903 new people tested positive for COVID-19; and- 4,347 people had their case transferred to the contact tracing system.

Visual Impairment: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 18 June to Question 52245 on Coronavirus: Visual Impairment, where the guidance and advice on guiding for blind and partially sighted people has been published; and what steps he has taken to promote that guidance to the blind and partially sighted community.

Helen Whately: Public Health England (PHE) has previously supported the Royal National Institute of Blind People with their own guidance and this included guidance on safe guiding.Further information and advice surrounding COVID-19 on how people can be guided safely and how to practice social distancing is available from our partners and can be accessed at the following link:https://www.sightadvicefaq.org.uk/coronavirus-information

NHS: Racial Discrimination

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to investigate reports of historical workplace racism in the NHS.

Helen Whately: We do not tolerate racist abuse of National Health Service staff and are committed to promoting an inclusive and compassionate culture in the NHS. The NHS is focused on supporting staff from different ethnic backgrounds and is tracking progress against key indicators through the Workforce Race Equality Standard, with Board level oversight.The NHS has put in place an action plan to support black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff through the pandemic. This includes risks assessment processes to protect staff, bespoke health and wellbeing resources and strengthened engagement with BAME staff networks to ensure their views are represented in decision making.

Health Professions: Training

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reforming the financing of health professionals’ education.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 29 June 2020



The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all pre-registration undergraduate and postgraduate National Health Service health professionals’ education under close review, to ensure that students are appropriately supported.In 2017 pre-registration nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students became eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loans, receiving at least 25% more funding for living costs support than under the previous system. The Government introduced the Learning Support Fund which provides a child dependants allowance, reimbursement of all additional travel costs to attend clinical placements and an exceptional hardship fund.From September 2020, all eligible new and continuing pre-registration nursing, midwifery and most allied health profession students studying at English universities would benefit from a new, non-repayable, training grant of at least £5,000 per academic year in addition to the funding available already through the Learning Support Fund.

Coronavirus: Prosecutions

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the the CPS's findings that 53 unlawful and no lawful prosecutions have been pursued in England and Wales under the powers provided by Schedule 21 of the Coronavirus Act 2020, what plans he has to revise his assessment of the necessity of   Schedule 21 in his two month report on that Act.

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the powers provided under Schedule 22 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 having not been used despite the outbreak having peaked in the UK and a public health response period having not been invoked, what plans he has to revise his assessment of the necessity of Schedule 22 in his two month report on that Act.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 02 July 2020



As per section 97(1)(b) of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the Secretary of State will make a statement in the two-monthly report about whether he considers the current status of non-devolved provisions to be appropriate. This is due to be published at the end of July. The first such statement was published on 29 May and can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-act-report-may-2020

Coronavirus: Research

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government intends to commission further research into the findings in the letter by Helms et al entitled, Neurologic Features in Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 4 June 2020.

Helen Whately: The Department invests £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR continues to play a critical role in prioritising, funding and delivering research into COVID-19. The NIHR is prioritising COVID-19 clinical research activity through its Urgent Public Health research prioritisation process. A list of prioritised studies is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/covid-studies/The NIHR funds COVID-19 research through its research calls. The NIHR Recovery and Learning Call will fund research to better understand and manage the health and social care consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This follows on from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-NIHR Rapid Response Call and the UKRI-NIHR Rapid Rolling Call for research that aims to make a significant contribution to the understanding, prevention and/or management of COVID-19.The UKRI Medical Research Council has funded the UK Dementia Research Institute to conduct a study into the clinical characterisation of the neurological and cognitive effects of SARS-CoV-2 linked brain injury.

Social Services: Mental Illness

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the temporary Care Act easements, created under the Coronavirus Act 2020, on access to social care for people with mental health problems.

Helen Whately: Holding answer received on 02 July 2020



The Department is working with Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP) to understand the impact on individuals of the changes to Care Act 2014 duties. A TLAP Insight Group meets regularly to coordinate intelligence of TLAP partners on the impact and views of people accessing care and support and unpaid carers, in areas that have enacted easements and those that have not. These findings will be publicly available.

Hospitals: Coronavirus

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the beds and equipment provided for the Nightingale hospitals are now being used.

Edward Argar: The beds originally designated for Nightingale Hospitals are being reallocated according to requirements across the National Health Service.Small amounts of equipment remain in-situ at the Nightingale Hospitals to maintain a state of readiness in case of a second surge. However, critical items have been relocated to where they are most required: no equipment has been left unused at the Nightingales if it was needed elsewhere.

Hospitals: Coronavirus

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to isolate covid-19 wards from other parts of a general hospital.

Edward Argar: On 19 May, the Government published best practice guidance on reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in hospital settings. This included guidance on patient placement, flow through the hospital, and inpatient settings. The guidance is publicly available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/reducing-the-risk-of-transmission-of-covid-19-in-the-hospital-setting

Cancer: Health Services

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle regional variation in the restoration of cancer services as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the letter of 29 April 2020 from the NHS Chief Executive and NHS Chief Operating Officer to the Chief executives of all NHS trusts and foundation trusts et al, what progress local systems and Cancer Alliances have made on restoring the provision of cancer (a) diagnostic and (b) surgical services to pre-covid-19 outbreak levels as recommended in that letter.

Jo Churchill: On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to National Health Service cancer services on Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. The new guidance is based on three key principles: capacity, fairness and confidence. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide such services.

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the (a) current prevalence and (b) annual incidence of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in England; and how that data is collected.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis, (b) mortality and (c) morbidity rate of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Jo Churchill: The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) records people with congenital anomalies and rare diseases across the whole of England. Data collection for rare diseases is at an early stage and currently NCARDRS does not collect data on thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). NCARDRS is working to expand rare disease registration and will work with interested parties to advance data collection on rare diseases including TTP.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is using NHS volunteers to help with the covid-19 track and trace programme; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: The new NHS Test and Trace service was launched on 28 May across England. 27,000 contact tracing staff have been recruited to support this service with staff being a mix of paid call handlers and health professionals. They are in addition to existing public health experts from Public Health England and local government.As these roles are professional paid roles, NHS Volunteer Responders are not currently being used to support the programme.To increase self-isolation compliance, the Test and Trace programme ensures that people who are contacted to self-isolate are aware of the support offered by NHS Volunteer Responders which includes volunteers being able to help with food shopping, medication delivery and check in and chat phone calls.

Day Centres: Special Educational Needs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to allow the reopening of day centres for people with special educational needs.

Helen Whately: Day services are an important form of support for people with learning disabilities and we recognise the impact of many day services closing during the COVID-19 pandemic.We want access to these important services restored as soon as is appropriate, in line with social distancing guidelines. We are working with local government to understand their concerns on re-opening these services and to offer guidance on safe ways to do so.Given the diversity of day service models organised by individual local authorities, decisions on reopening should be made on a local basis and be subject to appropriate risk assessments.

Ipswich Hospital: Surgery

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the proposals to make Ipswich Hospital the only general hospital in the East of England not to offer elective orthopaedic surgery on access to such surgery in that region.

Edward Argar: It will always be for local commissioners to determine how to best deliver services to meet local needs. It is right that decisions on local services and service models are made by local commissioners, who can best assess how to meet the needs of people in their area.NHS Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT), is a national clinically-led quality improvement programme that has made recommendations for improving orthopaedic services. These recommendations include the establishment of robust regional networks with regional centres to ensure appropriate critical mass for complex and low volume cases. There is good evidence that these centres offer patient excellent results.

Arthritis: Coronavirus

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure social care workers have the necessary guidance and resources when providing care for people with arthritis who have been advised to shield during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: We have updated our guidance for the provision of home care, which includes guidance on how to support the shielding of clinically extremely vulnerable people. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-providing-home-care/coronavirus-covid-19-provision-of-home-care#shielding-and-care-groupsPublic Health England has published guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in care homes, the use of PPE in domiciliary care and a specialised training video demonstrating the donning and doffing of PPE in care settings. The Government has stepped in to support the supply and distribution of PPE to the care sector, with survey data and feedback from the sector indicating that immediate supply pressures have eased.

Joint Replacements: Surgery

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase the use of shared decision making for people who are being considered for joint replacement surgery including for people with arthritis.

Helen Whately: NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing programmes and resources to support clinicians and prepare patients to have better shared decision-making conversations. This is part of NHS England’s commitments in Universal Personalised Care to deliver the Shared Decision Making component of the Comprehensive Model of Personalised Care to all systems and includes musculoskeletal services in the National Health Service.Resources include Decision Support Tools and national guidance to support clinicians in having conversations with orthopaedic patients whose surgery was postponed during COVID-19. Both are due to be available in the autumn.

Exercise Cygnus

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the members of the Steering Group were which was to oversee the overall strategic direction of the 2016 Exercise Cygnus.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the members of the National Planning Team were with responsibility for managing the development and delivery of Exercise Cygnus.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



Exercise Cygnus was a national-level pandemic influenza exercise, which took place from 18 to 20 October 2016. Due to the size and complexity of the exercise, a number of groups were established to assist with its planning.The Exercise Cygnus Steering Group was accountable for the overall strategic direction of the exercise and included representation from Cabinet Office, the Department of Health, the Department of Communities and Local Government, as well as Public Health England and NHS England.The National Planning Team had responsibility for managing the development and delivery of the exercise and consisted of representation from some of those who took part in the exercise, including from the Department of Health and 12 other Government departments; the devolved administrations; NHS England, Public Health England, and eight Local Resilience Forums.

Emergencies: Planning

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department last reviewed its contingency plans for dealing with (a) coronaviruses, (b) emerging infectious diseases and (c) acute respiratory syndromes.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department last reviewed its contingency plans for dealing with (a) coronaviruses, (b) emerging infectious diseases and (c) acute respiratory syndromes.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies, published in 2015, when planning related to SARS was last reviewed.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



The Government undertakes regular reviews of its assessment of, and preparedness for, the risks that the United Kingdom and its citizens could face, including natural hazard threats such as emerging infectious diseases, pandemic influenza and other high-consequence infectious diseases. The National Risk Register outlines what is being done about key risks and how the public can prepare themselves. The National Risk Register is being reviewed in light of COVID-19 and will be published when this has been completed.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timescale is for the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



Work on developing the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that we are moving forward with the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, work on the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy will be restarting shortly. Information on the timescale for developing the strategy and plans for publication will be announced in due course.

Health Services: Vale of York

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to utilise Nightingale Hospital Harrogate to help the NHS in York tackle the backlog of cancelled and delayed appointments and operations resulting from the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: The Nightingale hospitals were built to treat COVID-19 patients and do not have, for example, the operating theatres that would be required for elective surgery. The NHS Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate is now providing elective diagnostic services (computerised tomography) to local patients.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 01 July 2020 to Question 58066 on Contraceptives, what the timeframe is for (a) consulting on and (b) publishing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2020 to Question 58066 on Contraceptives, with which organisations his Department plans to consult on the development of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy; and what format he plans to use for that consultation.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 08 July 2020



Work on developing the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that we are moving forward with the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, work on the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy will be restarting shortly. Information on plans and the timeframe for engaging with stakeholders, as well as plans for publication, will be announced in due course.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when work on the national sexual and reproductive health strategy will commence.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy.

Jo Churchill: Preliminary work on developing the national sexual and reproductive health strategy began in autumn 2019. This work was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that we are moving forward with the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, work on the national sexual health and reproductive health strategy will be restarting shortly.

Hospitals: Medical Treatments

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for NHS hospitals to re-commence (a) hip replacements and (b) other routine treatments.

Edward Argar: We want routine NHS services to return for patients as quickly as possible, but this must be done in a safe and managed way, ensuring that we maintain the capacity for any further surge in COVID-19 activity. The resumption of non-urgent operations will be prioritised at local level based on local demands, ensuring that the most urgent cases are seen first, whilst ensuring surge capacity can be stood up again should it be needed.

Hospitals: Coronavirus

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance he has issued to NHS trusts on enabling partners to attend (a) scans, (b) hospital appointments and (b) the birth of a child during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 09 July 2020



The National Health Service is making arrangements to ensure that women are supported and cared for safely through pregnancy, birth and the period afterwards during this pandemic.Decisions on partners attending scans and appointments is subject to local discretion by trusts and other NHS bodies. Local maternity teams will be able to advise women on their policy on partners attending antenatal appointments including scans.Guidance produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is clear that women should be encouraged to have one birth partner, who has no symptoms of COVID-19, present with them during any type of labour and birth, unless the birth occurs under general anaesthetic.

Babies: Personal Records

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of amending the gestation limit for a baby to be considered for birth and death certificates.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government has no plans to amend the gestation limit for a baby to be considered for birth and death certificates.The Pregnancy Loss Review, due to be published this year, will consider the impact on families of the current threshold of 24 weeks gestation before being able to formally register a miscarriage if they so wish.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2020 to Question 288 on Mental Health Services: Children and Young People, what plans he has to introduce further waiting time standards for mental health services for children and young people.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



We are piloting a four-week waiting time in 12 areas to improve access to children and young people’s specialist mental health services. The National Health Service is committed to providing help where it is required as quickly as possible. But it is important to do this safely and consistently across the country without introducing any unintended consequences.

Health Services: Coronavirus

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on treatment time for (a) elective care and routine operations, (b) cancer and (c) urgent treatment.

Edward Argar: The postponement of non-urgent elective operations was vital in ensuring that the National Health Service had sufficient capacity to manage COVID-19 demand, although the most urgent and emergency treatments continued to be provided. This pause in activity led to an increase in waiting times following referral. The latest performance against the target for 92% of patients to start treatment within 18 weeks following referral was 66.2% in May 2020. Performance against the target of 85% of patients having a first definitive treatment for cancer within 62 days following an urgent general practitioner referral was 69.9% in May. Performance against the target for 95% of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours upon arrival at accident and emergency was 92.8% in June 2020.We continue to work closely with the NHS and partners, and guidance has already been issued on starting to restore urgent non-COVID-19 services safely, whilst ensuring surge capacity can be stood up again if needed.

Mentally Disordered Offenders: Prisoners' Transfers

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 3 July 2020 to Questions 61685 and 61686 on Prisoners' Transfers: Mentally Disordered Offenders, what plans the Government has to improve transfer times for prisoners to secure hospitals for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 3 July 2020 to Questions 61685 and 61686 on Prisoners' Transfers: Mentally Disordered Offenders, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on transfer times for prisoners to secure hospitals for treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Prisoners eligible for transfer to National Health Service psychiatric units should be moved out of prison as quickly as possible.NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working to revise the Department’s good practice guidance (2011) ‘Transfer and remission of adult prisoners under the Mental Health Act 1983 good practice guidance 2019’. The aim is to facilitate timely access to appropriate treatment under the Mental Health Act and reduce unnecessary delays based on clinical need. NHS England and NHS Improvement have undertaken extensive public consultation on revisions to the guidance and had planned to publish the final version by spring 2020. The publication process has been delayed to the COVID-19 pandemic but NHS England and NHS Improvement intend to proceed towards publication as quickly as possible.

Mental Health Services: First Offenders

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government response to Recommendation 9b of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs report on Custody-Community Transitions, published in October 2019, when the RAND Europe evaluation of the impact of Liaison and Diversion services in the criminal justice system including re-offending and levels of diversion from the criminal justice system into treatment will be published.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The report is currently being peer reviewed and will be published in due course.

Tomography: Hampshire

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timescale is for resuming MRI scans in South West Hampshire for non-cancer patients.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



MRI scans have not stopped in the South West. The service slowed down due to lockdown but still continued to see all patients and has been at full capacity for the past three weeks.

Health Services: North Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) increase the use and (b) improve the quality of technology in the health and social care sectors in North Wales.

Ms Nadine Dorries: As health and social care are devolved, the use and quality of technology in the health and social care sectors in North Wales are matters for the Welsh Government. The United Kingdom Government works closely with the Welsh Government on the use of technology in these settings.

Maternity Services

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will review guidance to allow birthing partners to accompany pregnant women to appointments and to labour.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 14 July 2020



The National Health Service is making arrangements to ensure that women are supported and cared for safely through pregnancy, birth and the period afterwards during this pandemic.Decisions on partners attending scans and appointments is subject to local discretion by trusts and other NHS bodies. Local maternity teams will be able to advise women on their policy on partners attending antenatal appointments including scans.

Contact Tracing: Republic of Ireland

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his Irish counterpart on that country's covid-19 track and trace app; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are working closely with the Republic of Ireland and our other international partners to build understanding and share learning across borders. There are many countries like the United Kingdom that are working on how best to deploy their apps while taking into account cultural and societal differences, and we have been proactive in exchanging ideas on how best to do this.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 60709, tabled on 17 June 2020 by the hon. Member for Worsley and Eccles South.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: Badges

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department regularly monitors the number of CARE badges that are distributed.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Immigrants

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many migrants have received bills for healthcare treatment in error during the exemption period for charges due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money from the public purse has been spent with small and medium-sized businesses in the procurement of personal protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to maximise opportunities for UK-based companies to fulfil orders of personal protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money from the public purse has been (a) allocated to and (b) spent to date on the (i) test, (ii) trace, (iii) contain and (iv) enable elements of the Test, Trace, Contain and Enable programme.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether an internal audit has been undertaken into reported problems with data collection for testing during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the scientific advice provided on the covid-19 lockdown relaxations announced on 9 July 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what scientific advice formed the evidential basis for the lifting of the covid-19 lockdown restrictions  announced on 9 July 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many items of personal protective equipment have been delivered as part of Government's Clipper scheme since 1 May 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason local authority Directors of Public Health were not automatically granted access to the National Testing Programme dashboard for their local authority area.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications to access the National Testing Programme dashboard were received from each local authority on each day since 8 June 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications to access to the National Testing Programme dashboard were granted for each local authority on each day since 8 June 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether local authorities are able to share postcode level Pillar 2 covid-19 testing data with local partners.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Bradford

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many positive tests for covid-19 have been recorded in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council local authority area on each day since 1 May 2020 in (a) Pillar 1 tests and (b) Pillar 2 tests.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to GPs to help (a) identify and (b) support people displaying signs of long term covid-19 related symptoms.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Mental Illness

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the rate of mental health problems among people affected by covid-19; and how much funding has been allocated from the public purse to provide mental health support for those people.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 63465, if he will make an assessment of the prevalence of patients experiencing covid-19 symptoms for longer than three weeks.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Ventilators

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2020 to Question 61474 on NHS: Ventilators and the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, how much of the £1 billion allocated to procure additional ventilators to support the NHS has been spent on acquiring additional stock.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ventilators: Procurement

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, how much of the £1 billion allocated to procure additional ventilators to support the NHS has been allocated to indemnify designers and manufacturers of Rapidly Manufactured Ventilator Systems for (a) claims relating to infringement of third-party intellectual property rights and (b) product liability claims resulting from defective equipment.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been contacted under the NHS covid-19 test and trace service; and how many of those people were approached by (a) Public Health England and (b) Serco employees.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Procurement

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what checks have been carried out on supply chains relating to his Department's covid-19 response in terms of (a) ethical audits, (b) financial due diligence and (c) quality control.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the Government's policy is on publishing the terms of bilateral agreements with (a) AstraZeneca and (b) other pharmaceutical companies for the development of covid-19 vaccines.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Mothers

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to extend the 12 month duration of the maternity exemption certificate for dental care for new mothers who were unable to access dental treatment during the covid-19 lockdown.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: Vacancies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what most recent estimate he has made of social worker vacancy rates for each local authority in England.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Services: Recruitment

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for the recruitment of new social care staff after the implementation of the points-based immigration system in January 2021.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide scrubs to (a) hospitals, (b) care homes and (c) dentists which rely on donations of scrubs from charitable volunteers.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Mortality Rates

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to reports of variable mortality rates from covid-19 between NHS Trusts and regions, what the age-standardised mortality rate from covid-19 is in (a) Salford Royal Foundation Trust, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) the North West and (d) England.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide further clarification on the criterion used to define close proximity for the purposes of Test and Trace.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Tobacco: Marketing

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the decision by the US Food and Drug Administration to authorise the marketing of the IQOS electrically heated tobacco system as a modified risk tobacco product in the US, if he will (a) undertake a review of policy in relation to such products in the UK and (b) introduce a regulatory framework for those goods based on risk.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Development

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she had with representatives from (a) NGOs, (b) aid recipients and (c) other stakeholders in advance of the decision to merge her Department with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: As with any government change like this, the announcement came first to Parliament. Since then, the DFID Permanent Secretary and Baroness Sugg, who is DFID’s NGO lead, have been meeting with NGOs regularly. The Government will continue to engage closely with interested stakeholders in the weeks and months to come as we work to create the new department, which will unite our development expertise and first class diplomatic service to make the UK a force for good in the world.

Polio: Disease Control

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the global effort to eradicate polio.

Wendy Morton: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted essential health services worldwide. Polio eradication is no exception and polio vaccination campaigns were paused in order to ensure the safety of health workers and communities.During this pause, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has pivoted effectively to respond to COVID-19. It has provided personal protective equipment, trained health workers, contributed to COVID-19 surveillance, and informed communities on prevention measures. This is a clear example of how the UK’s investment in the polio programme strengthens global health security systems more broadly.GPEI has resumed vaccination campaigns in Africa and is due to start in Asia in the coming weeks. Two million children in Afghanistan and Pakistan are due to receive polio vaccines next week [20th July].As a result of the pandemic, there is an increased risk of polio and other infectious disease outbreaks. As such, support for GPEI is more critical than ever. The UK is fully committed to polio eradication.

Malnutrition: Children

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what guidance she has issued to her Department's country offices on the continuation of programmes treating and preventing child malnutrition during the covid-19 pandemic.

Wendy Morton: Prevention and treatment of malnutrition remains a priority for the UK as part of our commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, new-borns and children. Malnutrition undermines immune function putting children at greater risk of getting sick and dying. The indirect impacts of COVID-19 are expected to increase acute malnutrition by at least 10% resulting in at least an additional 90,000 child deaths. DFID teams have been provided with practical guidance on how to address malnutrition during the pandemic. This emphasises the need to maintain services to treat malnutrition and to support safe infant and young child feeding. It also emphasises the importance of social protection to help the poorest access nutritious foods and the need to protect the production and supply of nutritious foods.

Department for Education

Dance: Coronavirus

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when dance schools will be permitted to reopen as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to permit the re-opening of dance schools as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Nick Gibb: A dance school which operates for fewer than 18 hours per week would generally be considered to be an out-of-school setting. As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, out-of-school settings which run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these settings have been able to open since 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by Government. However, providers should check the latest government guidelines on which businesses and venues can open and for which purposes as some premises may only be able to open for certain limited purposes:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, sports courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to reopen from 25 July. They cannot be used for holiday clubs and activities for children until that point.Protective measures guidance for out-of-school settings can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.Providers who offer indoor sports activities for children should also refer to the guidance for keeping workers, volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports, gym or leisure facilities:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/providers-of-grassroots-sport-and-gym-leisure-facilities.

Schools: Coronavirus

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support schools with smaller premises in the phased wider opening of educational settings as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Nick Gibb: It is our intention for all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. It is the best place for them to learn, and important for their wellbeing to have social interactions with their teachers and friends On 2 July we published guidance to help schools plan for a full return of all children in September. The measures set out in this guidance provide a framework for school leaders to put in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff, which also ensure that all pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress. All schools must ensure that they adhere to the measures outlined in our guidance, but the way different schools implement some of the requirements will differ based on their individual circumstances. We do not consider it necessary for schools to make significant adaptations to their site to enable them to welcome all children back to school. We also do not think schools will need to deliver any of their education on other sites such as community centres or village halls because class sizes can return to normal and spaces used by more than one class or group can be cleaned between use. Following a risk assessment, some schools may determine that small adaptations to their site are required, such as additional wash basins. This will be at the discretion of individual schools, based on their particular circumstances. Guidance for schools on full opening for the autumn term is available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

Academies and Schools: Coronavirus

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if it his policy that local authorities should encourage schools and academies to update their risk assessments to reflect 1 metre plus social distancing.

Nick Gibb: On 2 July we published guidance to help schools plan for a full return of all children in September. This sets out that in preparation for September, schools should thoroughly review their health and safety risk assessments and draw up plans for the autumn term that address the risks identified.Schools are expected to give consideration of how to reduce contacts and maximise distancing between those in school wherever possible and minimise potential for contamination so far as is reasonably practicable. These contacts can be reduced by a variety of steps including grouping children together, avoiding contact between groups and staff maintaining distance from pupils and other staff as much as possible.Our guidance states that ideally, adults should maintain 2 metre distance from each other, and from children. We know that this is not always possible, particularly when working with younger children. In particular, adults should avoid close face to face contact and minimise time spent within 1 metre of anyone.Children who are old enough should also be supported to maintain distance and not touch staff and their peers where possible. This will not be possible for the youngest children and some children with complex needs and it is not feasible in some schools where space does not allow. Schools doing this where they can, and even doing this some of the time, will help.The guidance on the full opening of schools can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

Schools: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure that schools have the capacity to provide additional cleaning services due to the covid-19 outbreak from September 2020; and whether he plans to allocate addition funding to schools for those services.

Nick Gibb: The Government has been clear that our plan is for all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term and on 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this.Schools are required to put in place a cleaning schedule that ensures cleaning is generally enhanced, including more frequent cleaning of shared areas and frequently touched surfaces being cleaned more often than normal. The guidance for full opening of schools can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.Public Health England have provided guidance for cleaning non-healthcare settings in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19. By the end of the summer term, new advice will be published on the general cleaning required when all pupils return. The existing guidance can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings.Schools have continued to receive their core funding allocations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20 As stated in our guidance, schools should use their existing resources when making arrangements to welcome all children back for the autumn. There are no plans at present to reimburse additional costs incurred as part of that process.

Higher Education: Finance

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, after accounting for changes to the classification of student loans, how much (a) was spent on higher education in each of the last 10 years and (b) has been allocated in each year of the forecast period.

Michelle Donelan: Higher education spending is reflected in the national accounts in different ways. Net spending by government on higher education over the year contributes to Public Sector Net Borrowing (PSNB), also known as the deficit.Grants to students and providers are government spending and increase the deficit. The recent classification decision by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) changed the way that student loans contribute to the deficit. Under the reclassification, the part of the maintenance and tuition loan which is not expected to be repaid is considered spending and increases the deficit. Any accruing interest which is expected to be repaid is considered as income, decreasing the deficit. The difference between spending on loans which are not expected to be repaid and expected interest income represents the net spending by the government on student loans over the year.More detail on the reclassification by the ONS is at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/methodologies/studentloansinthepublicsectorfinancesamethodologicalguide.A table summarising the total deficit cost of higher education is attached. Figures are not yet available for the 2019/20 academic year.Historic information on student loans is published by the Student Loans Company and available at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/student-loans-company/about/statistics.The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for distributing funding to the sector on behalf of the department. Details of future teaching grant allocation budgets from the department to the OfS are published at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/guidance-from-government/.The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes the forecast impact of student loans on PSNB. This is available in table 3.24 of the ‘March 2020 Economic and Fiscal Outlook’: https://cdn.obr.uk/EFO_March-2020_Accessible.pdf. These figures include student loans funded by the devolved administrations and the department. 



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History: Education

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with external organisations on the inclusion of Black British history in the national curriculum.

Nick Gibb: On behalf of the Department, my officials have discussed the flexible scope of the history curriculum with a range of organisations such as the Historical Association, Runnymede Trust and The Black Curriculum.The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the Department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their pupils, and to make choices about what they teach.As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, pupils should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experience of Black people. The flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about Black history across the spectrum of themes and eras set out in the curriculum.We will continue to explore what more we can do to support the teaching of Black history and welcome the perspectives of committed individuals and groups, building on previous discussions.

Confucius Institutes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which (a) schools and (b) higher education establishments (i) host a Confucius Institute and (ii) are in receipt of funds from the Chinese Government.

Michelle Donelan: Higher education establishments are independent, autonomous organisations and the government does not collect data of this sort. A number of UK higher education providers host and publicise their Confucius Institutes and are responsible for ensuring their partnerships are managed appropriately with the right due diligence in place.The government does not collect data on which education establishments host a Confucius institute.

Student Loans Company

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the most recent Annual Performance and Resource Agreement Letter from the Government to the Student Loans Company.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the most recent Ministerial letter from his Department to the Chair of the Student Loans Company sent as part of the Annual Performance and Resource Agreement process.

Michelle Donelan: The department has issued the Annual Performance and Resource Agreement to the Student Loans Company (SLC), however there was a delay in issuing it this year due to the impact of COVID-19. The Annual Performance and Resource Agreement will be published by the SLC later in the year.The department does not publish the Ministerial letter, however the SLC’s ‘Corporate Strategy 2019-20 to 2021-22’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/corporate-strategy) sets out the medium-term direction and strategy in line with shareholders’ priorities.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Females

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme for (a) pregnant women and (b) women.

Lucy Frazer: The End of Custody Temporary Release Scheme (ECTR) allows risk-assessed prisoners, who are within two months of their release date, to be temporarily released from custody. ECTR was introduced as part of our wider measures to create headroom across the prison estate, to enable us to implement our compartmentalisation strategy. This strategy allows us to isolate those with symptoms, quarantine new admissions and shield those most at risk from Covid-19. Early release is however only one part of our overall strategy towards achieving the headroom. We are also expanding the capacity of the prison estate through temporary accommodation, expediting remand cases and expanding our video court capacity and capability to facilitate timely remand and sentencing hearings.Public Health England and HMPPS modelling suggests that our strategy is having a positive impact on the risk of infection in prison populations (including the women’s estate).In addition to ECTR, pregnant women, prisoners with their babies in custody and those defined by NHS guidelines as ‘extremely vulnerable’ to Covid-19 will merit consideration for compassionate temporary release on a Special Purpose Licence.The Ministry of Justice now publishes a weekly release of Covid-19 related statistics. This includes the number of prisoners that have been released from custody under Covid-19 temporary release schemes. The statistics release can be found here each Friday:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics

Criminal Proceedings: Coronavirus

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of the backlogged cases in the Criminal Justice System are for (a) murder, (b) rape and (c) robbery in 2020.

Chris Philp: The table below provides the information requested on the number of outstanding cases in the Criminal Justice System for (a) murder, (b) rape, and (c) robbery in 2020.National statistics on the level of outstanding work in the criminal courts for the first quarter of 2020 were published on 26 June 2020. These data represent a proportion of the total outstanding caseload.Outstanding cases in the Magistrates’ and Crown Court as at 31 March 2020 MurderRobberyRapeMagistrates’ Court1766541911Crown Court3541,7701,1591NotesSource HMCTS management informationEvery effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that the data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when data are used.The figure for outstanding cases in the Magistrates Court is based on all cases with a Case Opened date prior to 31 March 2020 and no Case Completion date, irrespective of when the offence was committed.Data are taken from a live management information system and can change over time.The data provided is the most recent available and for that reason might differ slightly from any previously published information.Data are management information and are not subject to the same level of checks as official statistics.Data has not been cross referenced with case files.

Ranby Prison

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse was in staff payments and awards at HMP Ranby in each of the last six months.

Lucy Frazer: The table below shows the overall staff salary costs and any additional payment awards made to staff at HMP Ranby in the last six months.We are also making special payments to all of our hard-working prison staff who are going above and beyond the call of duty during these exceptional times. January to June 2020 Staff Costs - HMP Ranby JanuaryFebruaryMarchApril MayJuneSalary£1,225,097£1,255,139£1,301,870£1,283,881£1,293,544£1,264,886Additional Payments£158,952£137,898£154,645£150,892£320,005£270,260   Total£1,384,049£1,393,037£1,456,515£1,434,773£1,613,549£1,535,146Note for the table  Salary costs includes National Insurance and employer contributionsAdditional payment includes payment plus, overtime and bonus payments

Ranby Prison

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether HMP Ranby has a regime management plan in place; and if he will make a statement.

Lucy Frazer: There is an Exceptional Regime Management Plan (ERMP) at the prison. This was developed in consultation with Public Heath England at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The plan outlines a framework to assist with the delivery of services during the pandemic.

Dangerous Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each Police Force area in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp: The Ministry of Justice has published information on convictions at offence level up to December 2019. The number of convictions for offences under the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 at all courts can be found in the ‘Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool’, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888344/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx In the pivot table, filter the Offence code field to include the following Home Office offence codes:  11112, 11113, 11114, 11115, 11116, 11117, 11118, 11119, 11120 and 11125: Summary offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 00821: Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place injuring any person 00822: Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place and injure any person  In the pivot table fields menu, drag ‘Police Force Area’ from the filters section to the rows section underneath ‘Values’. Convictions for each Police Force Area can be found in rows 77 to 120.

Ministry of Justice: Standards

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure his Department's estate delivers (a) effective public services and (b) value for money.

Chris Philp: We continue to keep our estate under review to ensure it delivers effective public services and value for money. We have already launched the most ambitious prison building programme for generations, delivering over 13,000 places by the mid-2020s, and have dramatically increased the use of technology in the courts system. An extra £285m of improvements to courts and prisons will be made this year as part of the plan for economic recovery announced by the Prime Minister. This extra spending will keep thousands of people in work and generate jobs for thousands more, helping the UK recover from the economic freeze brought on by coronavirus. These improvements will also help to speed up justice through the courts and improve education in prisons and youth custody so that offenders leave less likely to reoffend.

Cremation: Coronavirus

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when covid-19 restrictions on interment of ashes following cremation will be lifted; and if she will make a statement.

Alex Chalk: There are no Government restrictions on the interment of ashes. It has never been Government policy to prevent the interment of ashes, and the Government amended the Regulations on 22 April to make it clear that it was only crematoria buildings which had to close to members of the public, except for funerals and burials. There have never been restrictions on the grounds surrounding crematoria, including burial grounds and gardens of remembrance. The restrictions on crematoria buildings were then lifted on 4 July.The law does not compel the owners and managers of these places to keep them open, and there are many reasonable justifications for why they may need to close temporarily, such as when conducting a funeral, or for maintenance. The Government urges the owners and managers of these places to take all practical steps towards enabling these places to be visited, in a safe manner consistent with social distancing guidelines.

Judiciary: Ethnic Groups

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons the Judicial Executive Board does not have members from Black and Minority Ethnic communities.

Alex Chalk: There are no Judicial Executive Board (JEB) members from Black and minority ethnic communities. JEB is chaired by the Lord Chief Justice of England & Wales and comprised of the judges in the most senior leadership roles - the Master of the Rolls, the President of the Queen’s Bench Division, the President of the Family Division, the Chancellor of the High Court, the Senior President of Tribunals and the Senior Presiding Judge for England & Wales, as well as the Chair of the Judicial College and the Chief Executive of Judicial Office. Appointments to the leaderships roles are made through the independent Judicial Appointments Commission. The Lead Diversity Judge also sits on the Board and shows the commitment to diversity at the heart of the senior judicial leadership.

Judges Council: Ethnic Groups

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason the Judges Council which advises the Lord Chancellor does not have any Black and Minority Ethnic members.

Alex Chalk: The Judges’ Council does not advise the Lord Chancellor. The primary function of the Judges’ Council is to inform and advise the Lord Chief Justice of England & Wales. Members of the Judicial Executive Board (including the Lead Diversity Judge) are also members of the Judges’ Council. Other members are selected by the judicial group which that member represents including, for example, the High Court Judges’ Association, the Council of Her Majesty’s Circuit Judges, the Association of Her Majesty’s District Judges and the Magistrates’ Association. Diversity data for Judges’ Council members is not held separately.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the economy of not concluding a trade agreement between the UK and (a) Canada, (b) Japan and (c) Turkey by 31 December 2020; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress she has made on agreeing a trade agreement between the UK and (a) Brazil and (b) Mexico; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: Brazil The United Kingdom values Brazil as an important trading partner. Brazil is part of the Mercosur trade bloc, alongside Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. We will continue to work together to develop our trade relationship and consider options for future agreements.Mexico, Canada, Japan and Turkey The United Kingdom’s ambition is to sign continuity trade agreements with Mexico, Canada, Japan and Turkey by the end of the transition period, which would make sure that existing trade flows are protected. If we do not reproduce the effects of an existing EU agreement, trade with these partners would take place on British terms – in line with the “UK Global Tariff” that we have published – after the end of the transition period. The volume of trade that would be impacted by such a change varies between different trading partners and we are working closely with businesses to ensure preparedness for any scenario.

Ports: Smuggling

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the ability of the UK's ports to cope with smuggling at the end of the transition arrangements with the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are already tackling smuggling and they will continue to do so through intelligence-led targeting; the Department for International Trade (DIT) will not be making a statement on this issue. My Department continues to work closely with HMRC to make sure that the United Kingdom’s trade policy will be effectively operationalised at the border after the transition period ends. Border controls on controlled goods will continue regardless of whether imports come from the European Union or Rest of the World countries. To ensure compliance with new customs procedures and controls at the border after transition period ends, my Rt Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster recently announced a new infrastructure funding package that includes £470m to build the necessary infrastructure required.

Iron and Steel: UK Trade with EU

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Government stating that it intends to exempt steel produced in the EU from the UK’s safeguard measures in order to achieve reciprocal arrangements for UK-produced steel sold in the EU.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The Government’s priority is to ensure that, at the end of the transition period, domestic industry retains appropriate trade remedy protections. The Department for International Trade continues to seek to engage with the European Commission on the mutual application of steel safeguard measures, with the aim of preserving traditional trade flows and providing as much continuity to industry as possible at the end of the transition period.

Trade: Africa

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 52663, which countries in Africa have been identified as key markets.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade’s Defence and Security Organisation has identified the following key markets in Africa for defence and security opportunities in 2019-20: AlgeriaEgyptMoroccoNigeriaSouth Africa

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Undersecretary of State for her Department from 17 July 2016 to 9 January 2018 signed arms export licences to (a) Saudi Arabia or (b) its coalition partners.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Trade Agreements: Vietnam

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress she has made on negotiating an international trade agreement with Vietnam; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The United Kingdom is committed to seeking trade continuity of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), once it enters into force on 1st August, by transitioning it into a bilateral agreement. HM Government are working closely with the Vietnamese Government on this.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release, New measures on night time deliveries to supermarkets to support coronavirus response, published on 9 March 2020, whether the measures on extended delivery hours for supermarkets and other food retailers have since been revoked.

Christopher Pincher: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to PQ 62505 on June 30 2020:

Mortgages

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2020 to Question 64062, whether he has had further discussions with mortgage lenders on plans for mortgage valuations on properties under 18 meters; what plans he has to monitor the outcome of reviews of policies and guidance to valuers by mortgage lenders; who attended the roundtable meeting with mortgage lenders on 25 June 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Pincher: Further to the round table on 25 June, the Minister for Building Safety intends to hold a further lender roundtable, with the addition of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and UK Finance, to monitor and facilitate progress on valuation and lending policies for properties under 18 metres.

Rough Sleeping: LGBT people

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department will take to prevent rough sleeping amongst LGBTQ+ youth after the ban on tenant evictions is lifted on 23 August 2020.

Luke Hall: Working across the public sector in order to continue tackling homelessness and rough sleeping throughout the crisis, this Government has provided funding to assist local authorities to provide accommodation and support to vulnerable people who are at risk of, or who have been diagnosed with, coronavirus.At the beginning of the pandemic, our priority was to bring vulnerable people inside so they could self-isolate and stop the virus spreading. We backed this with £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to support vulnerable rough sleepers, and a further £3.7 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19, including supporting homeless people. This may include people identifying as LGBTQ+, as well as those who identify as having other protected characteristics.Since the COVID-19 outbreak, charities across the country, including LGBTQ+ charities, were able to bid for funding through the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Fund, which provided £6 million of emergency funding as part of a £750 million package of government support for UK charities who may have been impacted by the pandemic. Following a successful bidding process, over 130 charities across England benefitted from the £6 million emergency fund.We have also put in place bespoke support for local authorities through our Homelessness Advice and Support Team, which includes dedicated youth homelessness advisor roles that have a commitment to work with local authorities to proactively promote positive joint working across housing authorities and children’s services, offering training, advice and support to all local authorities.The Government has taken unprecedented action to support renters during the pandemic to ensure no one can be forced from their home. On 5 June we announced that the suspension of evictions from social or private rented accommodation had been extended by a further two months. This means that no action to evict a tenant will proceed before 24 August 2020. The emergency measures in the Coronavirus Act, which require landlords to give at least three months' notice to evict tenants, are unaffected by this and remain in place until 30 September 2020.  We will also continue work with the judiciary, legal representatives and the advice sector on arrangements, including new rules, to ensure that when the moratorium on evictions ends, the courts are better able to address the need for appropriate protection of all parties, including those shielding from coronavirus.

Public Health Funerals

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of trendS in the level of Public Health Funeral costs in England in each of the last three years.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government does not collect the information requested, and so no assessment has been made. Figures on local authority expenditure on, and income from, the provision of cemetery, cremation and mortuary services, including closed churchyards and post-mortem services within mortuaries, from the past three years, are collected on the Revenue Outturn (RO) forms available from:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2018-to-2019-individual-local-authority-data-outturnhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2017-to-2018-individual-local-authority-data-outturnhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2016-to-2017-individual-local-authority-data-outturn

Planning Permission

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written answer on Economic Growth: Environment Protection and Planning Permission on 29 June 2020, and with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech of 30 June 2020, (a) what is his Department’s assessment of the impact of Project Speed on planning regulations and environmental protections and (b) what recent discussions he has had with the (i) Prime Minister and (ii) Chancellor on amending planning regulations and environmental protections.

Christopher Pincher: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 July to Question 64882.

Veterans: Coronavirus

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential merits of recording the number of street homeless veterans moved to temporary accommodation during the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall: During the COVID-19 pandemic MHCLG asked all local authorities to provide information on their rough sleeping cohort in order to support local authorities to make offers of accommodation to people who were sleeping rough, in shared sleeping sites, such as night shelters, or considered to be at risk of rough sleeping, to reduce the risk faced by some of the most vulnerable in society. This collection of data does not record information on whether someone is a veteran or not.H-CLIC (Homelessness Case Level Information Collection) is still the main vehicle to capture more detailed data on those offered assistance under a Housing Act duty. Any rough sleeper helped under a Housing Act duty should have their data recorded on the H-CLIC system, including those that are ex-armed forces personnel. We anticipate publishing H-CLIC data for the April 2020 to June 2020 period in autumn 2020.In May 2020, we published the latest H-CLIC data for the October to December 2019 period. In this dataset, there were 470 households that required additional support because they contained ex armed forces personnel. This represents less than 1 per cent, of the 67,280 households that were owed a homelessness duty.

Homelessness: Veterans

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to record the number of street homeless veterans.

Luke Hall: In April 2018, my Department introduced Homelessness Case Level Information Collection (H-CLIC). H-CLIC captures information on all those who engage with local authority homelessness services, including support need resulting from being in the armed forces.In addition, the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) is a multi-agency database which records information, including former armed forces service, about people seen rough sleeping by outreach teams in London across the year.There are a number of existing support services available to veterans who are experiencing, or are at risk of, homelessness. This includes the Veterans Gateway, an online web and telephone resource for veterans, providing access to a housing specialist who has up-to-date information regarding vacancies.

Homelessness

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to record the (a) gender, (b) age, (c) ethnicity and (d) nationality of people who are street homeless.

Luke Hall: My Department’s annual Rough Sleeping Snapshot Statistics provide information about the estimated number of people sleeping rough across local authorities in England on a single night. This data includes demographic information such as age, gender and nationality. These statistics do not currently include ethnicity of people sleeping rough.The most recent national figures, from the Official 2019 Rough Sleeping Snapshot, showed that the number of people sleeping on our streets on a single night fell for the second year in a row. These statistics are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2019.

Parks and Sports: Coronavirus

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on community parks and sporting facilities of increased pressure on local authority budgets as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



As we set out in the government sport strategy, Sporting Future, sport and physical activity should be accessible to all. It is so important to the health of the nation - in terms of both physical and mental wellbeing.The Government announced that from 4 July outdoor gyms could reopen. Sport England announced a £195 million package of support to help community clubs through this crisis. It recently boosted its Community Emergency Fund by a further £15 million to meet the demand, taking the total up to £210 million. The Government is continuing to work closely with the sector to understand the issues they face and how we can support them further.In addition to this, we have now made £3.7 billion available to local authorities through an un-ringfenced grant so they can address pressures they are facing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The package recognises the additional costs and pressures on finances councils are facing as a result of the current crisis. It demonstrates the Government’s commitment to making sure councils have the resources they need to support their communities through this challenging time.In total, the Government has committed almost £28 billion to local areas to support councils and their communities. This also includes: £300 million to support the new test and trace service, £600 million to support providers through a new Infection Control Fund and £12.3 billion of support through the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grants.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will operational by the end of the transition period.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



The Government remains committed to creating the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to succeed European structural funds and provide vital investment in local economies. The fund will bind together the whole of the United Kingdom, tackling inequality and deprivation in each of our four nations.We recognise the importance of this funding to local places. Through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund we have a real opportunity to design a fund that is driven by our domestic priorities. Final decisions on the design of the fund will be taken after a cross-government Spending Review.

Unitary Councils: Coronavirus

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of potential merits of accounting for the unique circumstances of unitary authorities when allocating financial support in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



In allocating resources to councils to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has treated all classes of local authority on an equivalent basis. The funding allocation for each local authority depends on their local circumstances and reflects the pressures they are experiencing as a result of the pandemic.We will continue to work with local government over the coming weeks to ensure they are managing as the pandemic progresses and we have a collective understanding of the costs they are facing.

Leicester City Council

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has directed officials in his Department to undertake an investigation into Leicester City Council.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason he has asked officials in his Department to undertake an investigation into Leicester City Council.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



Ministers are carefully monitoring the impacts of the pandemic on local authorities to identify councils that may need particular support. The Secretary of State has sought assurance on the role of Leicestershire councils who are within the lockdown area. The Department continues to work with the councils, agencies and other government departments on how best to respond locally.

Public Health: Coronavirus

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that covid-19 guidance issued by local authorities is available in multiple languages and formats.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is working with councils through this period to ensure they can support their communities best and that national guidance has been translated into a range of languages throughout the pandemic by individual departments and agencies. Guidance issued by local authorities would be locally produced and be targeted to the area they serve. Local authorities know their communities best and as independent organisations, will have the ability to decide how best to communicate with, and serve their communities.

Council Tax: Arrears

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his department has taken to ensure that people who have fallen behind with council tax payments are supported to repay rather than becoming liable to pay the full years bill upfront.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



Local authorities are responsible for the collection of council tax. Anyone who is concerned about falling behind with their council tax payments should contact their council as soon as possible to discuss the support available. Guidance issued by my Department makes clear that councils should be willing to take account of individuals’ circumstances, and agree affordable and sustainable payment plans to ensure debts are paid off in a reasonable time. The Council will also be able to advise on eligibility for a reduced bill, for example through its local council tax support scheme and any additional help under the £500 million council tax hardship fund. This is part of the Government's response to COVID-19 and enables councils to provide further reductions in bills for economically vulnerable households.

Churches: Coronavirus

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the timeframe for people to be able to sing in churches as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Luke Hall: The Government recognises that singing is a key part of our cultural and religious life. We have published Guidance for the Safe Use of Places of Worship during COVID-19 which provides advice on singing within places of worship: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july . The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has also published guidance for people who work in performing arts, including organisations, venue operators and participants: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/performing-arts . Singing is a central element of many religious practices but poses a particular risk of spreading the virus. The Government and medical and scientific communities are urgently engaged in research around transmission risk and how activities such as singing and chanting can be managed safely indoors, by congregations and by amateurs.

District Councils: Coronavirus

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support district councils in their response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) the District Councils’ Network on the Government’s plan to tackle the financial challenges faced by district councils as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the adequacy of funding for district councils.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



On 2 July the Secretary of State announced a further £500 million in unringfenced grant funding for councils to meet pressures they are facing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This unprecedented package of support includes £4.3 billion of support for councils’ spending pressures, comprising £3.7 billion of unringfenced grants and the £600 million Infection Control Fund, bringing the total amount of additional support for councils, businesses and local communities to almost £28 billion.The Government is also meeting 75p in the pound of lost income such as parking fees and museum entry charges, where that loss of income is more than a council could have been expected to plan for. For many councils, this will be a significant portion of the income lost as a result of the pandemic, particularly where these income streams make up a disproportionate portion of income relative to the size of the authority.I have heard from many district councils, and the District Councils’ Network, and can offer the reassurance that our aim is that all councils will be funded for their Covid-19 pressures and placed on a stable financial footing.Across all three tranches of funding, 86 per cent of Districts have received more than £1 million in support. Individual allocations of the latest £500 million can be found on the Gov.uk website.

District Councils: Devolution

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the District Councils’ Network on the forthcoming Devolution White Paper.

Mr Simon Clarke: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



I regularly meet with representatives from the District Councils Network, including via the Economic Recovery Working Group. This group has discussed a number of themes pertaining to the English Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper in recent months, and will continue to do so.

Building Safety Fund

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will extend the deadline for applications to the Building Safety Fund to 31 July 2020.

Christopher Pincher: Registration for the Building Safety Fund opened 1 June and closes on 31 July. Guidance for the application process will be published later this month. To submit a full application buildings must be registered with the scheme. The registration process is straightforward and there should be no reason that a building owner who believes their building is eligible for funding should not be able to register before the end of the registration period.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Coronavirus

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the protections required for armed forces personnel stationed overseas to operate safely during the covid-19 pandemic.

James Heappey: Further to the answer given during Defence oral questions on Monday 6 July 2020, The Ministry of Defence has developed and implemented a package of Covid-19 protection measures (social distancing, isolation, quarantine and specialist medical air evacuation) for each overseas location. All non-essential travel has been halted to minimise the risk of transmission, and following assessment, those deemed most medically vulnerable have been returned home. Commanders in each theatre have the ability to suspend activity as required to ensure force protection. The Department continues to review where our personnel are serving during the pandemic and the support they may need whilst doing so.

Defence Audit Committee

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the membership of the Defence Audit Committee.

Jeremy Quin: The Defence Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (formerly the Defence Audit Committee) is a sub-committee of the Defence Board. It supports the Board and Accounting Officer in their responsibilities for risk control and governance by reviewing the comprehensiveness, reliability and integrity of the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) risk assurance framework. Membership of the Defence Audit and Risk Assurance Committee 2018-19 can be found in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 Pages 103 - 104.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19The MOD's Annual Report and Accounts for 2019 - 20 will be published in October 2020.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will ensure that as a result of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy the UK (a) continues to exceed the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence and (b) at least maintains its level of established strength in each branch of the armed forces and Reserves; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: Her Majesty's Government will continue to exceed the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence and increase the budget by at least 0.5 above inflation every year of this parliament. The UK is one of only a handful of nations that meets the 2 per cent target, and we remain the largest European Defence spender in NATO. It is too early to speculate on the outcomes of the Integrated Review but I can assure you that our national security capabilities will be determined by the threats that we face and that this country will maintain the strength of our world class Armed Forces.

Animal Experiments: Porton Down

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the principle of replacement, reduction and refinement of the use of animals in research, what plans there are to reduce the size of the breeding colony of marmosets at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down.

Jeremy Quin: The size of the Dstl marmoset breeding colony is under constant review by veterinary staff, independent inspectors and the Dstl Animal Welfare Ethical Review Body, following the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement of the use of animals in research (the 3Rs). Accordingly, the breeding colony is maintained at the minimum size consistent with future research needs and maintaining suitable genetic diversity.

Defence: Contracts

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes his Department has made to the contract profit rate in the last five years.

Jeremy Quin: Under the Single Source Contract Regulations, the contract profit rate for a Qualifying Defence Contract (QDC) is determined by a six-step process, starting with a Baseline Profit Rate (BPR). The BPR is determined each year by the Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO). It is then adjusted to take account of various factors, including risk, capital servicing and SSRO funding, in order to determine the contract profit rate for each QDC. Movements in the BPR over the past five years, together with details of some other adjustments, can be found in the 2020 contract profit rate update, which is published on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2020-contract-profit-rate The site also includes a detailed supporting analysis and information on the methodologies used.

Defence: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the existing FOREX rate is for dollar purchases negotiated by his Department with the Bank of England.

Jeremy Quin: We address the impact of foreign exchange using forward purchase contracts agreed with the Bank of England. This mechanism provides budget stability in the forward programme and is not intended to generate gains or savings from the foreign exchange market. The average Dollar rate secured by the Department through its forward purchase contracts for 2020-21 is 1.326, this covers 80% of the Department's requirement.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review: Parachute Regiment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the veracity of recent media reports on plans to reduce the (a) number of personnel in and (b) funding received by the Parachute Regiment as part of the upcoming Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy; and if he will make a statement.

James Heappey: The Integrated Review will define the UK Government's ambition for the UK's role in the world and the long-term strategic aims for our national security and foreign policy. It is too early to discuss specific capabilities, but I can assure you that this country will continue to have the world class Armed Forces that it needs and deserves.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which open banking models have allowed people in financial need to share their income with HMRC in order to fast-track their applications for new welfare entitlements; and when were those models trialled.

Mims Davies: The department does not use open banking, nor is it aware of information about open banking models that have allowed people in financial need to share their income with HMRC.

Universal Credit: Wales

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming universal credit are in work in Wales.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming universal credit are in work in England.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming universal credit are in work in Scotland.

Will Quince: The latest available information on the number of people on Universal Credit who are in employment in Great Britain, by country, is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Universal Credit: Northern Ireland

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming universal credit are in work in Northern Ireland.

Will Quince: Universal Credit statistics for Northern Ireland are published by the Department for Communities here:https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/universal-credit-statistics

Carer's Allowance

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants of Carers' Allowance also receive (a) one and (b) more than one means-tested benefit.

Justin Tomlinson: Of the 1.3 million Carer’s Allowance claimants, around 470,000 (36%) are also receiving one means-tested benefit and around 280,000 (22%) are also receiving more than one means-tested benefit.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for financial redress have been made to her Department by people who claimed universal credit after lockdown restrictions came into effect and are worse off than on their previous benefits.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many payments of financial redress her Department has made since March 2019 to claimants who moved from legacy benefits to universal credit on her Department's advice and became worse off.

Will Quince: The information requested can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made on the preparedness of her Department to (a) process a potential increase in the number of universal credit applications and (b) provide support to those applicants in an adequate time frame in the event of an increase in unemployment as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies: The Department continues to keep the services it provides to customers and the resources to support that service under review: this includes our response to the effect of COVID-19 on the labour market.We are rapidly making provision, in line with public health guidance, for jobseekers to be offered face-to-face appointments with our work coaches, as we re-open our jobcentres across the country.We have already committed to the doubling of the number of work coaches, the majority of these [13500] roles will be new posts.The ‘Job Finding Support’ online service will provide tailored support for those who have lost their job to improve their employability, as well as skill-matching them with employers.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Seabed: Bomb Disposal

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to the Marine Management Organisation on removal of unexploded ordnance from the seabed using low order disposal technology; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 13 March 2020.The correct answer should have been:

Defra recognises the significant impact underwater noise from ordnance clearance and other activities can have on vulnerable marine species. We are working closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), other Government departments including the Ministry of Defence, statutory nature conservation bodies and marine industries to manage and reduce underwater noise. The underwater noise impact of using low order deflagration techniques for unexploded ordnance detonations is currently being researched by Hartley Anderson on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial StrategyDefra Group. The MMO is an active member of the Steering Group which is helping to progress this research. Closed water trials took place in 2019 and sea trials of the technology are planned for 2020. Defra does not expect to issue formal guidance on the use of low-order deflagration techniques until this research has been completed.

Rebecca Pow: Defra recognises the significant impact underwater noise from ordnance clearance and other activities can have on vulnerable marine species. We are working closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), other Government departments including the Ministry of Defence, statutory nature conservation bodies and marine industries to manage and reduce underwater noise. The underwater noise impact of using low order deflagration techniques for unexploded ordnance detonations is currently being researched by Hartley Anderson on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial StrategyDefra Group. The MMO is an active member of the Steering Group which is helping to progress this research. Closed water trials took place in 2019 and sea trials of the technology are planned for 2020. Defra does not expect to issue formal guidance on the use of low-order deflagration techniques until this research has been completed.

Nature Conservation

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what statutory powers require local authorities to implement the recommendations in nature recovery strategies.

Rebecca Pow: Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new system of spatial strategies for nature introduced by the Environment Bill. All public authorities will be required to have regard to relevant strategies, as part of a stronger duty on public authorities to conserve and enhance biodiversity also included in the Bill.

Waste: Exports

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will implement a ban on the exportation of (a) plastic waste and (b) other types of UK waste.

Rebecca Pow: Recognising the difficulties experienced by some countries in managing imports of plastic waste, the Queen’s Speech on 19 December 2019 included a commitment to ban the export of plastic waste to countries that are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Environment Bill includes a power which will enable us to deliver on this commitment and we will consult on the date by when the ban should be in place. The Bill also includes a power to introduce electronic tracking of waste to help tackle waste crime here in the UK and prevent illegal waste from being shipped abroad. The export of UK waste for disposal is generally prohibited. The Government has no plans to ban the export of other wastes. We are keen to promote UK-based recycling and export less waste to be processed abroad. Where the UK cannot currently recycle materials economically, exports can help ensure those materials are recycled in recipient countries. While there is a legitimate global market for secondary materials, it must be and is subject to strict regulatory requirements.

Special Areas of Conservation

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase the number of special areas of conservation in the UK.

Rebecca Pow: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. There are no plans to increase the number of special areas of conservation in England.

Fracking: Ground Water

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of increased shale gas exploitation on UK groundwater.

Rebecca Pow: Operators proposing to explore for shale gas using hydraulic fracturing in England require environmental permits from the Environment Agency. The permits, which are subject to a detailed site-specific assessment, set legally binding conditions on how activities are carried out so that the local environment is protected. Groundwater must be monitored before, during and after operations and the results submitted regularly to the Environment Agency. On 4 November 2019 the Government confirmed in a written Ministerial statement that, based on the current scientific evidence, it will take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents in England, which are required before hydraulic fracturing operations can take place. This position, in effect a moratorium, will be maintained unless compelling new evidence is provided which addresses the concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity. The full statement can be found at:www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-11-04/HCWS68. In 2018, onshore oil and gas licensing powers in Scotland and Wales were devolved to Scottish and Welsh Ministers respectively. The Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales have adopted policy positions opposed to shale gas exploration. Further, the licensing and regulation of shale gas development is fully devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. Any decision on whether shale developments can occur in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) materials and (b) containers his Department plans to include in the Deposit Return Scheme announced on 22 August 2019.

Rebecca Pow: Since consulting on its introduction in 2019, the Government has been developing proposals for a deposit return scheme (DRS) using further evidence and ongoing engagement with stakeholders. The specific details of a DRS, including the materials and containers to be included in scope, will be presented in a second consultation in early 2021.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to reply to the correspondence dated 15 April and 18 May 2020 from the hon. Member for Wellingborough on a proposed large scale chicken farm in the hon. Member's constituency.

Victoria Prentis: The Secretary of State replied to my Hon. Friend’s correspondence on 13 July 2020.

Pesticides: Imports

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade to ensure that (a) chlorpyrifos, (b) neonicotinoids and (c) other pesticides banned in the UK are not imported on products as the result of trade negotiations.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure the hazard-based approach to pesticide regulation is maintained in the event that the UK agrees trade deals with the US and Australia.

Victoria Prentis: We will maintain our high food and environmental standards when operating our own independent pesticides regulatory regime after the Transition Period. The statutory requirements of the EU regime on standards of protection will be carried across unchanged into domestic law. Food imports into the UK will need to continue to comply with the rules on the maximum residue levels of pesticides. Existing maximum residue levels will all remain in place at the end of the Transition Period.The Government will stand firm in trade negotiations to ensure any future trade deals live up to the values of farmers and consumers across the UK. We will not lower our standards nor put the UK’s biosecurity at risk as we negotiate new trade deals.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the (a) letter referenced Home Office ref MIN/6357/20 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 21 April 2020 which was transferred to his Department by the Home Office on 12 May 2020 and (b) further correspondence dated 18 June 2020 and 25 June 2020.

Victoria Prentis: I apologise for the delay in responding to my Hon Friend. Defra is currently dealing with unprecedented volumes of correspondence due to COVID-19. A reply to my Hon Friend’s correspondence is being prepared and will be sent out very shortly.

Home Office

Remote Working: Females

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has in place to support women who have to (a) work from home and (b) self-isolate who are at risk of domestic violence.

Victoria Atkins: Domestic abuse is unacceptable in any situation. We are working closely with the sector, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and the police to understand the impact of COVID-19 on victims, including as restrictions are eased.The Home Secretary announced £2 million in funding to ensure that helplines and online services continue to be easily accessible to victims. £1.2 million of this has already been allocated.This is in addition to the £750 million funding package announced by the Chancellor, £76 million of which will support survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and modern slavery as well as ensure that vulnerable children and young people continue to get the help they need. From this funding the HO launched a £2m fund for national and regionally based domestic abuse organisations. Following assessment of initial bids, £793,000 of this has been awarded to 13 organisations and the fund has been re-opened.We have also launched a campaign to raise awareness of domestic abuse and signpost victims to the support services available. The campaign, under the hashtag #YouAreNotAlone, aims to reassure those affected by domestic abuse that support services remain available during this difficult time. Details of these services can be found at www.gov.uk/domestic-abuse

Windrush Generation: Compensation

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have (a) applied for and (b) received compensation under the Windrush Compensation scheme; and how much has been paid out under that scheme to date.

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the timescale for processing payments under the Windrush Compensation Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Priti Patel: Information on the total number of applications, claims paid and the overall amount paid out by the scheme is available to view on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-may-2020. We are processing claims as quickly as possible, but all claims are different, and the time taken will depend on many factors, including the complexity of the case. We are committed to working with the claimant to ensure all possible information is taken into account and this will have an impact on the length of time it takes to process the claim. Wherever possible, we will make interim payments on parts of the claim that are straightforward to determine, such as immigration fees, thereby speeding up the provision of compensation. Our recently published statistics on the payments made under the Windrush Compensation Scheme, show a clear increasing trajectory of payments: £362,997 paid in the first 12 months of the scheme, of which £300,799 was paid in the most recent three months of that period.

Fraud: Telephone Services

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of people who have lost money through telephone scams in each of the last five years in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Falkirk constituency.

James Brokenshire: Victims of fraud and cyber-crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are encouraged to report these crimes directly to a centralised reporting centre called Action Fraud. Fraud victims in Scotland also reported crimes directly into Action Fraud until December 2019, when Police Scotland decided that victims should report incidents directly to them, via their 101 service. These reports are now recorded separately from Action Fraud data. Action Fraud does not categorise fraud reports by the mode in which the fraud was conducted. Fraud can often encompass several different methods of communication, so it may not necessarily be clear to the victim what the primary vector for this kind of criminal attack was. Victim locations are only recorded when sufficient information is provided. For these reasons, the data requested is not held centrally.

Windrush Generation: Compensation

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on ensuring that people eligible for compensation under the Windrush scheme have received the financial recompense they are entitled to; and if she will make a statement.

Priti Patel: There has been significant outreach and communication activity to publicise the Windrush Compensation Scheme. These events have been promoted by stakeholders and on local and social media. We are now continuing events online: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/windrush-online-engagement-events. We also work with MPs, local councils and stakeholders to raise awareness and materials on the scheme are available on GOV.UK and have been provided to community groups to try to ensure that all those affected are aware of the scheme. Our recently published statistics on the payments made under the Windrush Compensation Scheme, show a clear increasing trajectory of payments: £362,997 paid in the first 12 months of the scheme, of which £300,799 was paid in the most recent three months of that period. Comprehensive data can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-may-2020. The Home Office has additionally made offers of approximately £280,000 in compensation through the scheme. Once the offers are accepted by the applicants, the payments will be made. We work with claimants throughout the process to obtain as much information about the claim as possible. This approach ensures that claimants receive the maximum possible amount to which they are entitled under the scheme.

Windrush Generation: Compensation

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) people are eligible for compensation and (b) people have received compensation from the Windrush compensation scheme.

Priti Patel: An updated Impact Assessment was published in February 2020 which outlines the Home Office’s estimate that there could be 11,500 eligible claims to the Windrush Compensation Scheme. This has reduced since the previous Impact Assessment was published in April 2019 (which predicted 15,000 eligible claims), due to lower than anticipated claims to date. There inevitably is a high degree of uncertainty around estimated volumes of claims and the Department will continue to review estimates as more payments are made. Information on the total number of applications, claims paid and the overall amount paid out by the scheme since April 2019 is available to view on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-data-may-2020.

Windrush Generation: Compensation

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library the criteria used by her Department to determine the amount of compensation due to Windrush Compensation Scheme applicants.

Priti Patel: The Windrush Compensation Scheme rules and caseworker guidance set out the criteria by which claims under the Windrush Compensation Scheme are considered. These are published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/windrush-compensation-scheme and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/windrush-compensation-scheme-casework-guidance.

Windrush Generation: Compensation

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) scope and (b) purpose are of the community grant fund established to promote access to the Windrush Scheme and Windrush Compensation Scheme with regard to (i) when that scheme will be launched (ii) who will be eligible to bid and (iii) which activities  will be eligible for funding from that grant fund.

Priti Patel: The purpose of the £500,000 Windrush Schemes Community Fund will be to provide community organisations with funding to run outreach, promotional and support activity to raise awareness of the Windrush Compensation Scheme and the Windrush Scheme.The Home Office will be working with stakeholders to co-design and deliver the Fund. Further details, including eligibility criteria and when the Fund will be open for bids, will be released in due course.

Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a temporary visa due to the covid-19 pandemic, particularly where those people have underlying health conditions that may make international travel more hazardous.

Kevin Foster: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 15 July 2020.The correct answer should have been:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a temporary visa due to the covid-19 pandemic, particularly where those people have underlying health conditions that may make international travel more hazardous. 72226To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a Tier 4 General Student visa due to the covid-19 pandemic.The latest information in respect of advice for visa holders can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents. This is kept under review.The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the covid-19 outbreak. We recognise that further adjustments are likely to be required to cater for all scenarios, and we are working through these, to ensure people are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a temporary visa due to the covid-19 pandemic, particularly where those people have underlying health conditions that may make international travel more hazardous. 72226To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a Tier 4 General Student visa due to the covid-19 pandemic.The latest information in respect of advice for visa holders can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents. This is kept under review.The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the covid-19 outbreak. We recognise that further adjustments are likely to be required to cater for all scenarios, and we are working through these, to ensure people are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a Tier 4 General Student visa due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Kevin Foster: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 15 July 2020.The correct answer should have been:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a temporary visa due to the covid-19 pandemic, particularly where those people have underlying health conditions that may make international travel more hazardous. 72226To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a Tier 4 General Student visa due to the covid-19 pandemic.The latest information in respect of advice for visa holders can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents. This is kept under review.The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the covid-19 outbreak. We recognise that further adjustments are likely to be required to cater for all scenarios, and we are working through these, to ensure people are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a temporary visa due to the covid-19 pandemic, particularly where those people have underlying health conditions that may make international travel more hazardous. 72226To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting a further extension for people on a Tier 4 General Student visa due to the covid-19 pandemic.The latest information in respect of advice for visa holders can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents. This is kept under review.The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the covid-19 outbreak. We recognise that further adjustments are likely to be required to cater for all scenarios, and we are working through these, to ensure people are not unduly affected by circumstances beyond their control.

Quarantine: Exemptions

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) aerospace and (b) cybersecurity workers are exempt from quarantining when arriving in the UK if they carry out that work in another country and are returning to the UK.

Kevin Foster: The list of travellers exempt from quarantine can be found here (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules). Passengers arriving from exempt countries and territories no longer need to self-isolate when entering England from 10th July. Travellers will need to self-isolate if they visited or made a transit stop (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors#transit-stops) in a country that is not on the list in the 14 days before they arrive in England. Public health remains our top priority, and we will not hesitate to remove countries and territories from the list if the health risks are seen to increase. Devolved administrations make their own decisions around public health measures in place and so it is important for travellers to familiarise themselves with the latest position in the nation of the UK they are travelling to.

Counter-terrorism: Expenditure

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on counter-terrorism programmes in each year since 2010.

James Brokenshire: Overall net spending for the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism is published annually in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts. This information is broken down by administration, programme and capital expenditure. This information can be found via the following links: FY 2018-19 - pages 99-100https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/807126/6.5571_HO_Annual_Report_201920_WEB.PDF FY 2017-18 – pages 91-92https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727179/6_4360_HO_Annual_report_WEB.PDF FY 2016-17 – pages 82-83https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf FY 2015-16 – pages 101-102https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539638/HO_AR_16_gov.pdf FY 2014-15 – pages 93-94https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441282/HO-AR15_web.pdf FY 2013-14 – pages 81-82https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/321446/ARA_web_enabled_18_June.pdf FY 2012-13 – pages 116-117https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210660/Annual_Report_and_Accounts_FINAL_updated_logo.pdf FY 2011-12 – pages 120-121https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/143619/annual-report-2011-12.pdf FY 2010-11 – pages 39-40https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/120048/annual-report-201011.pdf

Metropolitan Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether drones are permitted to fly within London domestic airspace for use by the Metropolitan Police.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding the Government has allocated to Beyond Visual Line of Sight Drone technology for use by the Metropolitan Police.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Beyond Visual Line of Sight Drone technology will be made available for use by the Metropolitan Police.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits  of the use of advanced drone technology for policing in London.

Kit Malthouse: Police Forces in England and Wales, including the Metropolitan Police can use small drones, in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority regulations. These are used for public order events; missing people search operations and to support ground teams. The Home Office has not allocated funding to Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones for use by the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office is working with the policing aviation sector to assess the potential merits of the use of BVLOS Drones, including significant reductions in carbon emissions and the future potential for them to become electrically powered, reduced noise levels and longer flying times. There are two main factors that will determine when this technology is available to safely use across London. The first is operational viability, which is currently being assessed by the policing aviation sector; the second is ensuring that this new technology can be used safely within busy airspace and overhead densely populated areas.

Wales Office

Coronavirus: Wales

Simon Baynes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government on the (a) effectiveness and (b) quantity of testing for covid-19 in Wales.

Simon Hart: Eligibility for Covid-19 testing in Wales is a devolved matter. The UK Government has regular discussions with the Welsh Government to identify how the effectiveness of testing in Wales can be improved and the quantity increased. The two Governments are working closely and constructively to ensure our approaches are compatible and to minimise any differences cross-border. As of 9.00am on 15 July, the number of tests carried out in Wales was 9,307.9 per 100,000 people. However, testing per 100,000 people in England remains higher at 15,390.7. In recent weeks, the UK Government has taken measures to increase testing capacity in Wales by opening two new regional testing sites. The sites, in Deeside and in Ebbw Vale, will both use testing equipment provided to them by the UK Government as well as having the tests analysed in UK Government laboratories. The UK Government is also supporting the increased testing of care home staff and all care homes in Wales are being offered weekly testing for their staff through the UK Government’s social care portal. The UK Government has also allocated additional funding to the devolved administrations and to local authorities in England to support Test and Trace schemes. The Welsh Government will receive an additional £18 million in support.

Scotland Office

Agriculture: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the farming industry in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

David Duguid: Just like many other industries in the United Kingdom, the farming industry in Scotland has had to make a number of changes to the way it operates as a result of COVID-19. I appreciate the variety of roles involved in maintaining the UK’s food supply chain, and would like to give credit to all involved, including our farmers, who have helped ensure this has remained secure during the current crisis. As we emerge from the pandemic, ministers and officials from this department remain in close contact with the farming industry in Scotland to ensure that we understand the challenges they continue to face, and so that they are kept informed of the range of support that is available from the UK Government in response to COVID-19.

Fisheries: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the fishing industry in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Alister Jack: The fishing industry has faced tremendous challenges during Covid-19. These challenges have varied in nature and severity across the industry. For example, the shellfish industry which relies on hospitality in domestic and export markets was affected particularly severely. I know from the regular conversations that my Department has been having and continues to have with those in the fishing industry that the UK Government’s support has been crucial whether it be through employment support or through campaigns to promote Scottish produce domestically and abroad. The Scottish fishing industry has demonstrated incredible resilience and creativity in its response to the pandemic. Now, we must look towards the future and the opportunities that can be seized from leaving the Common Fisheries Policy and becoming an independent coastal state.

Air Pollution: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on air pollution in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Alister Jack: Responsibility for air quality policy and legislation is devolved to Scotland and therefore this is a matter for Scottish Government.

Aviation: Scotland

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making Scottish short-haul flights electric; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Alister Jack: The UK Government supports the development of new aviation technology such as electric aircraft. We must continue to embrace the opportunities offered by technology, such as fully electric or hybrid planes, if we are to accelerate the transition to a greener future. Short-haul electric flights throughout the whole of the UK would help support our ambitious net zero emissions target. The UK Government has announced the Jet Zero Council, which will bring together BEIS and DfT Secretaries of State, and CEO-level stakeholders across the UK to drive high ambition in the delivery of new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions.

Aviation: Scotland

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to support the development of electric short-haul flights in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Alister Jack: The UK Government is providing £125m of funding to the Future Flight Challenge, which will enable the UK to build, use and export new, greener ways of flying through advances in electric and autonomous flight technology. We have also supported the Civil Aviation Authority establish an Innovation Hub to engage with innovative aviation companies throughout the United Kingdom. The UK Government will consult on Aviation and Climate Change later this year.

Cabinet Office

Office for Tackling Injustices

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse has been of establishing the Office for Tackling Injustices under the Administrations of the (a) previous and (b) current Prime Minister.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what provision for funding the Office for Tackling Injustices (a) was made in his Department’s Supplementary Estimate for 2019-20 and (b) is planned to be made in his Department’s Main Estimate for 2020-21.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings he has held with (a) his Cabinet colleagues and (b) Ministers of other Government departments on the establishment of the Office for Tackling Injustices in each month since July 2019.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been asked by his Department to serve in the Office for Tackling Injustices; what the outcome of each such request has been; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 8 June 2020 to Questions 55892, 55893 and 55894 on Office for Tackling Injustices, what the process is for the announcements referred to in the answer; and if he will make it his policy to make a statement to the House in respect of each decision made by Ministers relating to the establishment of the Office for Tackling Injustices.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2020 to Question 1870 on Office for Tackling Injustices and with reference to the Prime Minister’s statement of 15 June 2020, how the cross-governmental commission to look at all aspects of inequality will contribute to the work of the Office for Tackling Injustices.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the news release entitled, Authored article, Prime Minister's article in the Telegraph: 15 June 2020, what the territorial scope of the commission is planned to be; and what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Devolved Administrations on the remit of the commission in relation to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

Chloe Smith: I refer the Hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2020, which outlines the plans for a new cross-government Commission to review inequality in the UK. This Commission has superseded the proposals from the last Administration to create an Office for Tackling Injustice.

Senior Civil Servants: Resignations

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) Permanent Secretaries and (b) Cabinet Secretaries have left their posts in each of the last 15 years.

Chloe Smith: Lord Turnbull served as Cabinet Secretary from 2002 to 2005, Lord O'Donnell from 2005 to 2011, Lord Heywood of Whitehall from 2011 to 2018, and Sir Mark Sedwill from 2018.Over the last fifteen years various permanent secretaries have left their posts including to other roles; some held more than one role during this period.In 2014 the Coalition Government agreed that all new Permanent Secretaries (SCS4-level appointments) would be made on the basis of a 5 year fixed tenure, and that there would be no automatic presumption in favour of renewal.The table below relates only to substantive first and second permanent secretaries; it does not include Directors General assigned on a short-term basis to cover temporary vacancies. It therefore includes the permanent secretary of the Department of Energy and Climate Change who left during the time while the Member for Kingston and Surbiton was Secretary of State, but not an official who left having filled the role on a temporary basis. Members of the Diplomatic Service, other than the Permanent Secretary to FCO, are also not included.20051220111020179200662012820183200711201362019720087201442020 (to June)62009420159  2010820164

UK Relations with EU

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which senior Ministers (a) have been, (b) are and (c) plan to be engaged in the next five months in negotiations with the EU on the UK's post-transition relationship.

Penny Mordaunt: Details of Cabinet Committee membership and their terms of reference are available online at GOV.UK, including the EU Exit Strategy (XS) and EU Exit Operations (XO) committees.

National Security

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who will act as National Security Adviser in the interim period between the departure of the previous National Security Adviser and the start date of the new post holder in the Autumn.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Member to the Urgent Question responded to by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 30 June 2020.

Ports: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment the Government has made of the preparedness of the ports of (a) Holyhead, (b) Milford Haven, (c) Cardiff, (d) Newport, (e) Port Talbot, (f) Fishguard and (g) Swansea to adapt to changes to customs rules and physical checks requirements following the end of the transition period.

Penny Mordaunt: Further to the answer by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Cabinet Office's Border and Protocol Delivery Group is working with Government departments and with Welsh Government officials and with ports in Wales on their requirements for the end of the Transition Period.

Census: Staff

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people employed in census community adviser roles speak foreign languages; and which languages to those people speak.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people employed in census community adviser roles there are in each ethnic group.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people employed in census community adviser roles there are from each religion.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 61.86 KB)

Cabinet Office: Written Questions

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer Questions (a) 62329, (b) 62330, (c) 62331, (d) 62332 and (e) 62333 tabled on 22 June 2020 by the hon. Member for Brent Central.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQs 62329, 62330, 62331, 62332, 62333, 69482, 69483 on 16 July 2020.

Import Duties: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the legal risk of failing to deliver the dual tariff system in Northern Ireland.

Beth Winter: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government’s policy is on tariffs on goods entering Northern Ireland in the event that the dual UK and EU tariff system is not ready by 1 January 2021.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to PQ 71822 answered on 15 July 2020.

*No heading*

Alan Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish Lord Dunlop's Review of UK Government Union Capability.

Chloe Smith: Since Lord Dunlop delivered his report, the Government has been carefully considering its recommendations on how departments can work most effectively to realise fully all the benefits of being a United Kingdom.The Government is grateful for the work that Lord Dunlop has undertaken.

Treasury

Energy: VAT

Dave Doogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reduce VAT on energy saving products after the end of the transition period.

Jesse Norman: VAT is a broad based tax on consumption and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Relief from the standard rate is already available on the sale and installation of certain energy-saving materials such as insulation, draught stripping and solar panels if certain conditions are met. Although there are no plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend eligibility criteria to new starters who missed the date for enrolment in the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme due to (a) the date of starting a new job and (b) their employer’s choice of timing in submitting paperwork to HMRC.

Jesse Norman: The Government has prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible. For this reason, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has had to be set up to operate at significant scale and with limited manual intervention. Extending the cut-off date beyond 19 March would significantly increase the risk of abuse and fraud, as claims could not be confidently verified against the risk of fraud using the data after 20 March, when the scheme became public.

Roadchef: Employee Benefit Trusts

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 904399 on Roadchef: Employee Benefit Trusts, if he will make it a Government priority to review tax legislation so that the Roadchef Employee Benefits Trust is exempt from tax in line with other all-employee share ownership schemes.

Jesse Norman: The administration of the tax system is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs, who have indicated that they are in dialogue with the taxpayer. It would not be appropriate for Treasury ministers to become involved in the administration of the tax system in specific cases.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the £50,000 cap for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to allow people with profits in excess of that cap to access financial support.

Jesse Norman: The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) helps those adversely affected by COVID-19. Individuals can at present claim a taxable grant under the SEISS worth 80 per cent of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months’ worth of profits, and capped at £7,500 in total. The extension of the SEISS announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29 May 2020 means that eligible individuals whose businesses are adversely affected by COVID-19 will be able to claim a second and final grant when the scheme reopens for applications in August. This will be a taxable grant worth 70 per cent of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months’ worth of profits, and capped at £6,570 in total. The SEISS is designed to target help at those who most need it. Those who had more than £50,000 from trading profits in 2018-19 had an average total income of more than £200,000. Those with average trading profits above £50,000 may still be eligible for other elements of the unprecedented financial support package made available by the Government. These measures include Bounce Back Loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants.

Employment: Coronavirus

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to support freelancers and people on short-term PAYE contracts who are not entitled to support under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Government has prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible, and the CJRS and SEISS have provided support to more than 11 million people across the country. Those who are not eligible for the CJRS and SEISS may have access to other support that the Government is providing, including a package of temporary welfare measures, £3.2bn in funding for local authorities to support the most vulnerable people in society, mortgage payment holidays, and a nearly £1bn increase in support for renters through increases to the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants.

Manufacturing Industries: Clothing

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department plans to take to enforce the minimum wage rules for all garment factory workers (a) in Leicester and (b) throughout the UK.

Jesse Norman: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. HMRC continue to take action against employers who ignore the law, ensuring that workers receive the wages they are entitled to. HMRC take seriously and review all complaints from workers referred by the Acas helpline, or received via the online complaints form, and investigate as appropriate. If anyone thinks they are not receiving at least the minimum wage, they can contact Acas, in confidence, on 0300 123 1100 or submit a query online using the link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints . As part of continuing operational activity in Leicester and throughout the UK, over the past two years HMRC have completed over 50 investigations into textile traders, uncovering over £125,000 in wage arrears for more than 280 workers and issuing over £240,000 in penalties.

All Party ExcludedUK Parliamentary Group

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if will he meet with representatives of the the all party parliamentary group Excluded UK.

Christian Matheson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people working on self-employed PAYE conditions who are not eligible for (a) the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and (b) the Self Employment Income Support Scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets with parliamentary colleagues and has answered questions on this issue in the House. The Government has recently announced further measures as part of the comprehensive economic response, taking unprecedented steps to support families, businesses and the most vulnerable. The fiscal response so far totals £160bn. As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes a comprehensive set of Government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, rental support and mortgage and consumer credit holidays. This package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net, in order to help those unable to access other forms of support to get through the coronavirus outbreak. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor and making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access. The Government’s Plan for Jobs will support, protect and create jobs. This plan will make available up to £30bn to help kickstart the nation’s economic recovery ahead of a fuller package of medium-term recovery measures in the forthcoming Autumn Budget and Spending Review.

Infrastructure: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what environmental assessments the Government plans to make of (a) each project in Project Speed and (b) Project Speed overall.

Jesse Norman: The Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce will bring forward proposals to deliver the Government’s public investment projects more strategically and efficiently, while ensuring that environmental protection and biodiversity conservation outcomes are maintained or improved. All infrastructure projects will be in scope of this work.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether all traders have been transferred to the Customs Declaration Service; and whether that service is fully operational.

Jesse Norman: The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) has been a live service since August 2018 and is fully operational. The operation of the customs platform is not dependent on completing full trader migration to CDS, as it will be dual running alongside CHIEF. HMRC will continue to work with traders in order to meet requirements for the end of the transition period.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the electronic declarations of the Goods Vehicle Movement Service will be compatible with the Customs Declaration Service.

Jesse Norman: The Goods Vehicle Movement Service will be integrated across multiple platforms, including the Customs Declaration Service and the UK’s legacy customs system, CHIEF.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff vacancies there are on the programme team for the delivery of the Customs Declaration Service.

Jesse Norman: HMRC manage the Customs Declaration Service programme of work very closely and have prioritised resourcing the changes required for the end of the Transition Period. HMRC have the resources and capability required to deliver the programme. This is kept under review, and where additional resources are required these will be provided.

Remittances

Sir David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2020 to Question 64077, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of disclosing the full cost of fees and charges including the exchange rate margin as calculated from the mid-market rate provided by the ECB to ensure that consumers are able to make informed decisions when sending money abroad by bank transfer.

John Glen: Further to my response of 3 July 2020 to Question 64077, before the end of the Transition Period, the Government will bring forward secondary legislation under the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 to ensure that the provisions of the Cross Border Payments Regulation which require transparency of currency conversion fees and charges for credit transfers, continue to work effectively in UK law after the end of the Transition Period.

Minimum Wage

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HMRC national minimum wage enforcement staff were employed in each region in each year since the financial year 2009-10.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HMRC has expended on national minimum wage enforcement in (a) total and (b) each region for each year since the financial year 2009-10.

Jesse Norman: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). HMRC investigate all complaints from workers referred by the Acas helpline, or received via the online complaints form. The total number of staff employed by HMRC since 2009-2010 to carry out National Minimum Wage enforcement is provided in the table below. YearNumber of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff2009/101402010/111422011/121392012/131422013/141582014/151832015/162512016/173522017/184122018/194292019/20442 There are also additional staff across HMRC who contribute to enforcing the NMW including lawyers, technical advisers, and those specialising in criminal investigations. These staff are not included in the numbers outlined above. HMRC do not hold accurate data on regional staff numbers going back to 2009-10. However, most recently, for 2019-20 there were 442 full-time equivalent NMW enforcement staff working from 22 locations in 12 regions across the country: RegionNumber of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staffEast Midlands25Greater London40North East34North West106Northern Ireland25Scotland65South East12South West13East of England3Wales24West Midlands52Yorkshire and the Humber43Total442 As a national operation, it is common for staff based in one region to work cases in another. The Government has been increasing funding for NMW enforcement year-on-year. This has enabled a significant expansion of resources dedicated to enforcing the minimum wage. The table below provides a yearly breakdown of funding received for NMW enforcement from 2009/10 to 2020/21. YearFunding for NMW enforcement (millions)2009/10£8.32010/11£8.12011/12£8.32012/13£8.32013/14£8.32014/15£9.22015/16£13.22016/17£20.02017/18£25.32018/19£25.22019/20£26.32020/21£26.4 It is not possible to provide an accurate regional breakdown of the NMW enforcement budget.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a table of the organisations receiving public funds through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, showing for each month of operation and for each company in receipt of public funds the (a) company or charity number (as applicable), (b) the organisation's name, (c) in what sector of the economy it operates, (d) the postcode or (if overseas) the country in which it is based, (e) the total number of staff in each organisation whose employment is being supported by that scheme in that month, (f) the total amount paid to that organisation in that month as a result of that scheme; and if he will make statement.

Jesse Norman: In order to protect the confidentiality of individual organisations’ tax affairs, HMRC are unable to provide information on individual companies and charities.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish aggregate data, in respect of public funding for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, showing for each month of that scheme's operation for each (a) Government office region of the UK, (b) district council area, (c) Westminster Parliamentary constituency, (d) Scottish Parliament constituency, and (e) Senedd constituency (i) how many organisations based in that area have received support, (ii) in what sector of the economy those organisations operate, (iii) the total number of staff in each organisation whose employment is being supported by that scheme in that month and (iv) the total amount of funding allocated.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish aggregate data on public funding for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme this year, showing, for each month of that scheme's operation for (a) each government office region of the United Kingdom, (b) each district council area in England, and each council area in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, (c) each Westminster Parliamentary constituency, (d) each Scottish Parliament constituency and (e) each Senedd constituency and for companies in which (i) 5 or fewer, (ii)  six-19, (iii) 20-39, (iv) 50-99, (v) 100-499, (vi) 500-999, (vii) 1000-4999, (vii) 5000 or more employees are receiving support through the scheme, (A) how many organisations of that size based in that area have received support, (B) the total number of staff in such organisations of that size in that area whose employment is being supported by that scheme in that month, and (C) the total amount of funding allocated to support such organisations of that size in that area.

Jesse Norman: Statistics on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme are published on GOV.UK. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-july-2020. This includes breakdowns of the total number of employments furloughed by industry sector, country, English region, local authority and by Westminster Parliamentary constituency. The publication also includes breakdowns of the total number of employments furloughed by the number of employees within each claiming PAYE scheme. It is not possible to provide the further breakdowns requested in the time available. Furthermore, there are likely to be statistical disclosure issues at this level of disaggregation.

Parks: Coronavirus

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding to local authorities for the provision of park sporting facilities as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government has provided a comprehensive package of support for councils to help with their response to Covid-19. Over £3.7bn in additional grant funding has been announced for councils in England, which can be used flexibly across all their services, and Sport England have announced a support package of £210 million to help community clubs through this crisis. The Government will continue to work closely with local authorities to monitor the pressures that they are facing.

Landlords: Taxation

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his most recent estimate is of the tax revenues lost through residential landlords failing to declare their rental income.

Jesse Norman: The information requested is not available as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not make a separate estimate of the proportion of the total tax gap attributable to residential landlords. However, HMRC does estimate the tax gap arising from individuals in employment who have not declared and therefore not paid tax on lettings income. The latest estimate of this tax gap was £540 million for the tax year 2018-19.

Landlords: Licensing

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the additional tax receipts that would be raised from a national licensing scheme for residential landlords.

Jesse Norman: All individual landlords are liable to income tax at normal rates on any taxable profits they receive from property that they rent. Landlords must contact HMRC if they have any taxable profits from property.

Minimum Wage

Neil Coyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many prosecutions for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage there have been (a) in total since 2010 and (b) in each year since 2010.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional steps his Department is taking to secure prosecutions for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage.

Jesse Norman: HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. HMRC will not hesitate to take action to ensure that workers receive the pay to which they are legally entitled. A majority of NMW cases relate to civil (non-criminal) offences, which attract penalties of up to 200% of the identified wage arrears and public naming. Alongside civil sanctions, HMRC have a clear approach for how they consider prosecutions in appropriate cases involving potential criminal breaches in the most serious cases. Where potential criminality has occurred, HMRC refer these cases to the Crown Prosecution Service who decide whether or not to prosecute. Since 2010-11 HMRC have completed nearly 25,000 NMW investigations, identifying over £100 million in national minimum wage arrears for over 950,000 workers. During this period, HMRC investigations have also led to the successful prosecution of 8 employers for NMW related offences. A yearly breakdown of NMW prosecutions is included in the table below. YearNumber of prosecutions2010/1112011/1202012/1312013/1402014/1502015/1602016/1742017/1812018/1902019/201

Money

Conor McGinn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) the North West and c) the UK for whom cash is their primary payment method.

Conor McGinn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of free-to-use ATMs in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) the North West and (c) the UK in each year since 2010.

Conor McGinn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to promote adequate access to alternative payment methods during the covid-19 outbreak for people whose primary payment method is cash.

John Glen: The Government recognises that cash remains important for many individuals and businesses across the UK. That is why, at the March 2020 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to protect access to cash for those who need it. The Government is engaging with the financial regulators, including through the Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group, to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the UK’s cash infrastructure and ensure that those who rely on cash to transact can continue to do so in the long-term. The Financial Conduct Authority and Payment Systems Regulators are developing a comprehensive picture of cash access infrastructure across the UK in relation to social economic factors that reflect consumer needs, building upon their mapping work carried out during the COVID-19 crisis. LINK, the UK’s main ATM network, publishes the annual total of free-to-use ATMs across the UK since 1998 online. As of 2019, there were 45,000 free-to-use ATMs in the UK; although this is less than the peak number in 2017, this remains 13% higher than a decade ago. LINK’s Monthly ATM Footprint Report also publishes information monthly on the break down by constituency. During the COVID-19 outbreak, financial services firms have announced a range of measures to support vulnerable customers. We are working with the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure there is continued support for these people. For example, many firms have methods for trusted third parties to access cash. Anyone with questions should contact their banking service provider.

Debts: Developing Countries

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the merits of extending the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to include middle-income countries.

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of international debt held by private creditors under English law; and what assessment he has made of the ability of UK creditors to sue developing countries for defaulting on debt repayments in English courts.

John Glen: Under the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, the G20 committed to suspend the debt repayments of the world’s poorest 77 countries. The G20 focused on these countries as they are particularly vulnerable to the economic pressures of the pandemic; and because G20 creditors have a larger share of these countries’ outstanding debt, as middle-income countries borrow much more from commercial markets. Given the more complex composition of many middle-income countries’ debt, and their access to capital markets, the G20 did not agree a blanket approach to respond to middle-income country debt vulnerabilities would be appropriate. In 2019 the IMF assessed that 45% of the total outstanding stock of international sovereign bonds by nominal principal amount are governed under English law. The G20 have called for private creditor participation in the DSSI on a voluntary basis. It is important that developing countries do not see their access to international capital markets become too costly or restricted as mobilising private finance will be essential for crisis recovery and long-term sustainable development. HM Government will continue to monitor implementation of the DSSI by private lenders under this voluntary framework closely, as it is important that all creditors work together to help enable countries especially vulnerable to the pandemic to protect their citizens and economies.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Arts

Damian Collins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the extent to which workers in the creative industries on short-term contracts qualify for payments under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Employees on fixed-term contracts, regardless of industry, can be claimed for under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme if otherwise eligible. From 1 July an employee is eligible to be claimed for under the scheme, if their employer has previously submitted a claim for them in relation to a furlough period of at least three consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June. For an employee on a fixed term contract, the employer would have been able to re-employ them and put them on furlough as long as they did this by 10 June, and if either the employee’s contract expired on or after 28 February 2020 and an RTI payment submission for the employee was notified to HMRC on or before 28 February 2020, or the employee’s contract expired on or after 19 March 2020 and an RTI payment submission for the employee was notified to HMRC on or before 19 March 2020.If the employee’s fixed term contract has not already expired, it can be extended, or renewed. Employers can claim for these employees as long as an RTI payment submission for the employee was notified to HMRC on or before 19 March 2020. Employees that started and ended the same contract between 28 February 2020 and 19 March 2020 will not qualify for this scheme. This is not specific to employees on fixed-term contracts; the same would apply to employees on all other contracts.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Emergency Services

Drew Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing the proportion of the income of frontline emergency service staff members which is required to be from self-employment to enable them to be eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), including the eligibility requirement that an individual’s trading profits must be no more than £50,000 and at least equal to their non-trading income, is designed to target those who most need it, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income. Those not eligible for the SEISS may benefit from other elements of the comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses. This package includes Bounce Back Loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. The Government’s focus must now turn to economic recovery. The Government will support, protect and create jobs through the Plan for Jobs, which will provide up to £30bn of support.

Roads: Freight

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff vacancies there are on the programme team for the delivery of the Goods Vehicle Movement Service.

Jesse Norman: The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) project is part of a wider programme of work delivering system and business process changes for the end of the Transition Period. HMRC manage the GVMS project very closely and have prioritised resourcing the changes required for the end of the Transition Period. HMRC have the resources and capability required to deliver the project. This is kept under continuous review, and where additional resources are required these will be provided.

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of  administering the Eat Out to Help Out scheme; and whether those costs will be funded from HM Revenue and Custom's budget.

Jesse Norman: HM Treasury has committed to provide HMRC with additional funding to deliver their coronavirus-related schemes, including Eat Out to Help Out. HMRC keep the administrative and policy costs of these schemes under regular review and HMRC will receive additional funding from HM Treasury via standard Government processes.

Borders: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate HMRC have made of the number of traders who will be required to complete the additional processes required on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland outlined in the Command Paper entitled, The UK’s approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, published 20 May 2020.

Jesse Norman: Declaration volumes will depend on how businesses choose to operate, and HMRC are engaging with industry to understand their operating models. As announced in the Command Paper, HMRC will soon set out more detailed plans for extensive support for businesses engaged in the limited additional processes on goods arriving into Northern Ireland.

Government Departments: Kickstart Scheme

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many six-month work placements will be created within (a) his Department, (b) HMRC and (c) the civil service as part of the kickstart scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Kickstart Scheme will be open to funding applications from August 2020, and the Government expects the first jobs to begin in the autumn. The scheme will be open to applications from private, voluntary and public sector employers, including the Civil Service. More information on the application process will be available in due course.

Revenue and Customs: Merseyside

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Key Performance Indicators were missed at (a) Litherland House, (b) The Triad, (c) Regian House and (d) Imperial Court HMRC offices in Merseyside from 16 to 27 March 2020; and what penalties were issued to the contracted cleaning company ISS.

Jesse Norman: The following tasks were not delivered within agreed KPIs between the period of 16 to 27 March for each site as follows; (a) Bootle, Litherland House 2 items: 1 Fabric, 1 Electrical; (b) Bootle, Triad 18 items: 9 Electrical (mainly light bulb replacements), 4 Fabric, 3 Plumbing, 1 Heating and 1 Security; (c) Liverpool, Regian House 2 items: 1 Consumables, 1 Lift; (c) Liverpool, Imperial Court 8 items: 7 Fabric, 1 Plumbing. HMRC would not be made aware of any financial deduction related to the contract that ISS (as a Tier 3 supplier) has in the period, as ISS is within the supply chain as part of HMRC’s contract with Mapeley STEPS Ltd.

Revenue and Customs: Birmingham

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Key Performance Indicators were missed at (a) City Centre House and (b) Norfolk House HMRC offices in Birmingham from 16 to 17 March 2020; and what penalties were issued to the contracted cleaning company ISS.

Jesse Norman: The following tasks were not delivered within agreed KPIs between the period of 16 to 17 March for each site as follows: (a) Birmingham, City Centre House 4 items: 2 Fabric, 1 Electrical, 1 Plumbing; and (b) Birmingham Norfolk House 1 item. HMRC are not aware of any financial deductions specifically related to ISS as HMRC do not have a direct contract with ISS. ISS are a Tier 3 supplier within HMRC’s prime PFI contract with Mapeley STEPS Ltd.

Revenue and Customs: Cleaning Services

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the additional costs to the public purse would be per annum of paying staff employed on the HMRC cleaning contract held by ISS at (a) Litherland House, (b) the Triad, (c) Regian House and (d) Imperial Court in Merseyside and (i) City Centre House and (ii) Norfolk House in Birmingham the Real Living Wage as determined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Jesse Norman: HMRC do not have any direct contracts with ISS and the provision of these services is provided through a twenty-year national PFI contract with Mapeley STEPS Ltd.

Revenue and Customs: Cleaning Services

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HMRC paid ISS to employ temporary staff to clean during the covid-19 outbreak from 1 March 2020 to date (a) at (i) Litherland House, (ii) the Triad, (iii) Regian House and (iv) Imperial Court in Merseyside, (b) at (A) City Centre House and (B) Norfolk House in Birmingham and (c) throughout the UK.

Jesse Norman: HMRC have paid through the PFI contractor the following indicative amounts to support the COVID-19 crisis: Bootle and Liverpool £88,000; Birmingham £20,000; and throughout the UK £480,000. HMRC have no visibility of the split between temporary or permanent staff or of the costs passed on to ISS under their contract model as HMRC do not have any direct contracts with ISS.

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Ben Everitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend the Eat Out to Help Out scheme to include take-away outlets.

Jesse Norman: Eat Out to Help Out is designed to encourage people to return to eating out in order to support restaurants, pubs, cafes and other dine-in establishments, which have been severely affected by COVID-19 due to closures and the impact of social distancing. In doing so, it will help support 1.8 million jobs disproportionately occupied by young, female, part-time workers, in the bottom half of incomes. Hot takeaway food and drinks will benefit from the temporary VAT reduced rate for hospitality from 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department made before deciding how (a) maternity leave, (b) sick leave and (c) holidays affect the value of claims made to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the calculation of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant, what assessment his Department has made of the financial effect on women of not exempting maternity leave taken in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2016-17.

Jesse Norman: The Government takes care to pay due regard to the equality impacts of its policy decisions relating to the Covid-19 outbreak, including the equality impacts of the SEISS, in line with all legal requirements and the Government’s commitment to promoting equality. It is not possible for HMRC to know the reasons why an individual’s profits may have dropped in earlier years from income tax self-assessment returns. However, by calculating the grant on a three-year average of profits, the SEISS supports people who saw a dip in profits for parental/sickness leave. HMRC have published statistics about the number and value of SEISS claims made by 31 May, including a breakdown by gender. These can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/self-employment-income-support-scheme-statistics-june-2020

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the document entitled, Plan for Jobs,  CP 261, what the timeframe is for the 600,000 to be upgraded.

Kemi Badenoch: The Plan for Jobs announced that over £2 billion will be provided to support homeowners and landlords to make their homes more energy-efficient in 2020-21. Funding for future years will be considered as part of the Spending Review. This could support more than 100,000 green jobs, upgrade more than 600,000 homes across the country, and save households hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills. Further details on the Green Homes Grant scheme will be announced in the coming weeks before its full launch in the Autumn.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Science: Finance

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres’ Proposal for an Emergency Resilience Fund for UK Science Centres; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: Science and discovery centres around the country have an important role in educating, inspiring and entertaining visitors of all ages on what science is and the important discoveries over the centuries that have changed all our lives. Science centres in England have access to the unprecedented support the Government has announced for business and workers, to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes the Job Retention Scheme, which science centres have benefited from, VAT payment deferrals, and £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses. The Chancellor has also announced a Bounce Back loan scheme to help small businesses access loans of up to £50,000, with a 100% government-backed guarantee for lenders. Additionally some of the members of the ASDC - specifically cultural institutions like museums - may be eligible to apply for support as part of the £1.57 billion investment announced earlier this month. Science centres outside England may be eligible for further support from the devolved governments for example some centres in Scotland may eligible for additional support from the Scottish Government.

Broadband: Standards

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish data on the latency of superfast broadband lines delivered with Building Digital UK by local authority area.

Matt Warman: Building Digital UK (BDUK) does not monitor nor track the latency of superfast broadband lines delivered through their rollout programmes. BDUK and Ofcom only collect speed data, not latency data.BDUK receives delivery and speed data at a premise level in the form of a delivery report that is received from suppliers every quarter of a contract up until delivery completion. This provides BDUK with information on what premises have been delivered to, what upload and download speeds they expect to receive, when the premise was built to, and what technology was used to build to that premise.Local Authority and constituency level data on available speed is published in Ofcom’s Connected Nations reports and summarised on the House of Commons Library website.

Electronic Commerce: EU Law

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on UK consumers of the eCommerce Directive no longer applying to the UK from 1 January 2021.

Caroline Dinenage: The eCommerce Directive is a piece of EU legislation that seeks to facilitate digital trade within the EU’s internal market. By the end of the year, we will be a fully independent and sovereign country: this means that there will be no alignment with EU law. From 1 January 2021, online service providers based in the European Economic Area will be required to abide by UK legislation when providing services to UK consumers.

Theatres: Coronavirus

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to issue guidance on the safe reopening of open air theatres as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Caroline Dinenage: On 9 July, the Government published guidance for people who work in performing arts, including arts organisations, venue operators and participants which will help people understand how they can work and take part in the performing arts safely, and keep their audiences safe. Organisers of all events including open air theatres will always need to go through the relevant approvals. Where required, they will need to be granted licences from local authorities and be set up to be COVID-secure adhering to social distancing guidelines and regulations.

National Lottery Community Fund: Charities

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the £200m assigned to the National Lottery Community Fund as emergency covid-19 funding for smaller charities has been received by charities.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Coronavirus Community Support Fund was set up to help maintain and enhance services for vulnerable people affected by the current crisis, where delivery organisations are experiencing income disruption and/or increased demand for their services.To date, 934 grants have been awarded to charities and social enterprises in England, totalling approximately £20m. Of this payments have been made to 463 organisations, totalling £5,163,403.The funding is being distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund and is open for applications from small and medium charities and social enterprises.How to apply: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/covid-19/learn-about-applying-for-emergency-funding-in-englandWe have published clear and comprehensive guidance on the full £750 million package of support for charities and how organisations can apply for it on Gov.uk. This guidance will be updated frequently: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19

Broadband: Voucher Schemes

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits on introducing a dedicated Business Broadband Voucher Scheme to help SMEs (a) improve their broadband connections and (b) adapt to the digital economy.

Matt Warman: The department already operates a voucher scheme to Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through the Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme. Funding of up to £3,500 is available to SMEs, and up to £1,500 for residents. This is available for businesses as large as 249 employees and a turnover of up to €50m per annum, and as small as sole traders. £71 million of funding is available for residents and businesses in this financial year. Local Authority ‘top-up’ funding is also available in Kent, West Sussex, Borderlands and Wales which increases the amount available. For example in Wales the SME voucher is worth up to £7,000. To date, the Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme has issued over 10,000 vouchers to SMEs and residents, of which over 2,500 have already resulted in a live connection. The department previously offered the UK wide Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which closed in May 2020 and was available to both urban and rural premises. This Scheme offered up to £1,500 for SMEs and up to £500 for residents, with ‘top-up’ funding available in Kent and Wales. To date nearly 25,000 connections have been made through this Scheme, with a further 8,000 vouchers issued that will be connected over the coming 12 months. The total value of vouchers for businesses through this Scheme was £64 million. With billions of pounds of commercial investment announced for urban fibre build, there is now a high risk of “deadweight” from urban vouchers which is why the department is now focusing on developing gigabit-capable connectivity in rural areas.

Tourism: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) (a) applied for funding through the DMO Resilience Fund and (b) were successful in their application.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding has been awarded through the DMO Resilience Fund, by individual Destination Management Organisations.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on destination management organisations (DMO); and whether his Department plans to increase the level of funding provided through the DMO resilience fund.

Nigel Huddleston: The Destination Management Organisation (DMO) Resilience Fund awarded a total of £1.33m to eligible DMOs in England. The fund has supported 56 DMOs. A further 23 applications were made which were unsuccessful as they did not meet the criteria. The Government recognises that these remain extremely challenging conditions for tourism organisations across the country. We will continue to monitor the situation in the tourism sector as restrictions are eased, and I encourage DMOs to keep sharing information with VisitEngland and my Department. DMOs have provided vital business support to local tourism organisations during this crisis, and will play a key role in helping our tourism industry recover. List of DMOs who successfully applied to the fund and the amount awarded to them can be found on the attached table.  



Destination Management Organisation 
(PDF Document, 29.24 KB)

Recreation Spaces and Sports

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that all communities can access (a) park tennis courts and (b) other (i) free and (ii) low-cost open spaces and sporting facilities.

Nigel Huddleston: As we set out in the government sport strategy, Sporting Future, sport and physical activity should be accessible to all. It is so important to the health of the nation - in terms of both physical and mental wellbeing. As announced on 9 July, from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres (including tennis courts) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and follow Government guidance. Sport England have announced a £195 million package of support to help community clubs through this crisis. It recently boosted its Community Emergency Fund by a further £15 million to meet the demand, taking the total up to £210 million. The income scheme announced on Thursday 2 July by the Secretary of State for Local Government, aims to support local authorities who have incurred irrecoverable loss of income from sales, fees and charge which they had reasonably budgeted for. Further guidance will follow on the principle of the scheme.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the £200 million allocated to hubs and SME vouchers for the Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme has been spent.

Matt Warman: RGC is a demand side intervention and the run rate is therefore driven by demand from public buildings (“hubs”) in rural areas requesting an upgrade to full fibre, and demand from rural SMEs and residents for “vouchers”. Demand got off to a slow start in 2019/20 as the programme was established and the interventions took time to come into effect. Hub demand is stimulated through Other Government Departments, and voucher demand is being stimulated by suppliers and Local Authorities. £17.4 million was spent on the programme in 2019/20. As the programme is now fully established, the run rate is in line with the original plans for 2020/21. The department is forecasting £23.7 million will be spent on hubs in 2020/21 and forecasting £71 million will be spent on vouchers in 2020/21. Nonetheless the department is mindful of the challenges to the programme posed by COVID-19. However, the programme has generated a strong pipeline of public building upgrades and voucher demand for subsequent years. Whilst the RGC programme itself will end in March 2021, the demand “hopper” will feed the demand side intervention in the successor programme - the UK Gigabit Programme - from March 2021 onwards. HM Treasury has agreed that the programme can contract for connections in 2020/21 that will be delivered in 2021/22, which will ultimately close the shortfall from 2019/20. Of the 39,829 public buildings sites analysed through the programme to date, 5,745 are eligible and form this “hopper” of prospective upgrades.

Conference Centres: Coronavirus

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he plans to make additional funding available to exhibitions and events businesses that are employing staff to rebuild their business following the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: The events industry and its suppliers have been severely hit by the current crisis. My officials and I continue to engage with events stakeholders - for example through the Visitor Economy Working Group and the Events Industry Board - to monitor the ongoing impact on exhibitions and events businesses. Events businesses and workers can access the Government’s economic support package, including the recently extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan scheme. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support tourism’s recovery across the UK. We are working closely with events stakeholders, such as the Association of Events Organisers, to develop Covid-19 Secure reopening guidance for conferences and events venues.

Gambling: Fees and Charges

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Gambling Commission has made of the level of risk of harm to vulnerable people from permitting gambling charges to be added to post-paid mobile phone bills.

Nigel Huddleston: All operators providing gambling facilities to customers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with licence conditions. These include requirements to protect vulnerable people from being harmed by gambling and to intervene when a customer shows signs of being at risk of harm, which apply however payments are made.Payments made by mobile phone are capped by the Payment Services Regulations 2017 at £40 per transaction, up to a total of £240 per month. These limits cover all services charged to phone bills, such as gambling and music downloads. They are not a common means of spending on gambling, currently accounting for around 0.4% of the annual gross gambling yield (including lotteries). In addition to the regulatory requirements of the Commission, the Phone-Paid Services Authority also regulates services that involve charges to phone bills.Phone payments do not represent a breach of rules banning credit card payments for gambling but the Gambling Commission has committed to evaluate the impact of the ban, including looking at displacement to other payment methods. They will continue to monitor the use of phone-paid payments as part of that evaluation.

Telecommunications

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he plans to issue updated guidance on valuation for site access agreements under the Electronic Communications Code for central government departments, arm’s length bodies and local authorities.

Matt Warman: Our intention is to publish updated guidance on valuation under the Electronic Communications Code for public sector bodies as soon as possible. We hope to do so this summer.

Charities: Coronavirus

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the £750 million Government financial support announced for charities in response to the covid-19 outbreak has been paid out; and to how many charities that funding has been allocated.

Mr John Whittingdale: Of the £750m of financial support for charities during the Covid-19 crisis, £360m was committed to be distributed by other government departments, which includes £200m to be distributed to hospices via the Department for Health & Social Care. Currently, over £150m has been dispersed for hospices. Of the remaining £160m allocated to other government departments, £59.4m has been distributed. £310m of the £750m total was committed to support small and medium charities in England during the Covid-19 crisis. Of this, £200m has been allocated to the Coronavirus Community Support Fund (CCSF) which is being distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund. To date, 934 grants have been awarded to charities and social enterprises in England, totalling approximately £20m. Of this, payments have been made to 463 organisations, totalling £5,163,403. We are continuing to review the early findings from the distribution of the Coronavirus Community Support Fund (CCSF) to ensure that the remaining £110m is utilised in the most effective way, addressing emerging priorities. Lastly, the government committed to match-fund the £36.5m raised during the BBC Big Night In. To date, £21.9m has been disbursed to our partners (NET & Comic Relief). Please note that no funds have been distributed to Children in Need yet. We have published clear and comprehensive guidance on the full £750 million package of support for charities and how organisations can apply for it on Gov.uk. This guidance will be updated frequently: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19

House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has plans to make the wearing of face coverings mandatory on the Parliamentary estate.

Pete Wishart: The Commission is led by the current Government advice on the use of face masks and coverings. Whilst the guidance on the use of face coverings in shops and supermarkets will change on the 24th July, it is not applicable to the Parliamentary estate, as no onsite services are currently provided to the public.Face coverings are not a replacement for social distancing and regular handwashing which remain the most important actions. As hon. Members and staff can maintain social distancing and have easy access to handwashing facilities or hand sanitiser, it was concluded that face coverings are not necessary at this time. However, there is no bar on those choosing to wear face masks from doing so.